Relation between social development and gazing behavior by intervention to children with autism

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17H07283
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Lifelong developmental nursing
• Research Institution: Sonoda Women's University
• Principal Investigator: Mori Toko 園田学園女子大学, 人間健康学部, 助教 (70508803)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-08-25 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 社会性の発達 / 注視率

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the present study, we examined whether the gaze percentages which was measured using an eye-tracking system called Gazefinder (GF), changes due to intervention. We also examined whether social development resulting from intervention is associated with changes in the gaze percentages.
Among 32 and 33 children, 30 and 32 completed the GF test in 2017 and 2018, respectively, and were included in the study. Two children in 2017 were unable to complete the GF test as they lacked concentration, and 1 child in 2018 who had strong refusal before the GF test did not participate in the examination. After intervention, there was a significant improvement in the gaze percentages (mouth in blinking, mouth and others in mouth movement). Furthermore, there was a relation between the change in social developmental after intervention and the change the gaze percentages in the eyes, mouth, and entire screen on the still face (r = .385, .390, .516,respectively).

Free Research Field

小児看護学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、療育の最中に療育の担当者と養育者が見守る中でGF調査を実施したため、検査が困難であると考えられる自閉症スペクトラム児（以下、ASD児）が安心して検査が受けられることが明らかになった。また、ASD児は、療育による社会性の発達と静止顔画面を注視する力が関連している可能性が示された。今後は社会性の発達向上させるためにも、「注視すること」をサポートする個別的な療育プログラムを導入する必要性が示唆された。