Exploring the impacts of attention to social information on the development of language and sociality

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K17469
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Special needs education
• Research Institution: University of Fukui
• Principal Investigator: Fujioka Toru 福井大学, 学術研究院教育・人文社会系部門(教員養成), 准教授 (80770594)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 自閉スぺクトラム症 / 視線計測 / 社会的情報への注目

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We aimed at identifying the developmental changes in gazing at social information in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typically developed (TD), and clarify the impact of gazing at social information on future language ability and sociality. In the face stimuli, the percentage fixation time to the eye region for the TD group increased with age, whereas the one for the ASD group did not. While the percentage fixation time to the eye region of TD group continued to rise after age 5, the percentage fixation time to the eye region increased up to approximately 10 years of age and thereafter tended to decrease in the ASD group. In the TD group, the percentage fixation time to the person when the person and the geometric pattern were simultaneously presented had a positive effect on sociality after 1.5 years. On the other hand, in the ASD group, the percentage fixation time to the biological motion had a positive effect on sociality after 1.5 years.

Free Research Field

特別支援教育

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

自閉スぺクトラム症では10歳付近から目への注視率を下げる要因が働いていることが示唆された。この結果から、アイコンタクトの異常という診断基準に含まれる事象の理由が、幼児期と思春期以降で異なることが示唆された。今後研究が進むことで、ASDの診断の際に考慮すべき点が明らかになることにつながる意味で、社会的意義は大きいと言える。また、幼少期ASDの将来の能力に影響を与える観点を明らかにできたことは、ASD特性の強い幼児への関わりに示唆を与えることができ、この点も社会的意義が大きいと言える。