Developmental mechanisms underlying the difficulties of eye contact in children with autism spectrum disorders

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K21365
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Cognitive science; Childhood science (childhood environment science)
• Research Institution: International Christian University
• Principal Investigator: Naoi Nozomi 国際基督教大学, 教養学部, 准教授 (20566400)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 自閉症スペクトラム症 / アイコンタクト / ライブ・アイトラッキング / 縦断的評価 / 発達 / 共同注意

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We measured the gaze of the children with ASD and typically developing children (TYD) in the 9, 12, 18 months, and 3-5 years-old age groups in live face-to-face interaction using an eye tracker. Regardless their mental age, children with ASD showed reduced accuracy to an adult’s pointing and head-turn. In addition, they showed less visual attention toward both objects and the adult’s face during joint attention interaction than TYD who were matched on their chronological age. This tendency was also shown in the infants at-risk for ASD at the early stage of development. On the other hand, there were no significant differences between the two groups when the stimuli were presented on the monitor. Following the behavioral intervention, their response to head-turn and gaze orientation were effectively facilitated in children with ASD. In addition, collateral change was shown and the children tended to look longer at the adult’s face during joint attention episode at post-intervention.

Free Research Field

発達心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

ASDに関連するアイコンタクトの障害について，ライブ・アイトラッキングの手法を用いてその機序を検討した。ASD幼児は実際の大人との相互交渉場面において他者の顔への注視が有意に短く，追視反応の正確性も低いことを示した。このような困難は知的発達とは関連せず，発達の早期に示されることを示した点で学術的意義がある。また，モニタ上に同様の刺激が提示された場合顕著な視線反応の低下は見られなかったことから，ASDのアイコンタクトの障害は，実際の他者との相互交渉場面において評価していく重要性を示した。一方，適切な行動的支援によって共同注意の発達を促進することができることを示した点で社会的意義がある。