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Updated: Apr 26, 2026

Eye Tracking Young Children with Autism
Published on: March 27, 2012
Positive Affect Processing and Joint Attention in Infants at High Risk for Autism: An Exploratory Study
Alexandra P Key1, Lisa V Ibanez2, Heather A Henderson3
1Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development and Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, 230 Appleton Place, PMB 74, Nashville, TN, 37203, USA. sasha.key@vanderbilt.edu.
Abstract:
Few behavioral indices of risk for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are present before 12 months, and potential biomarkers remain largely unexamined. This prospective study of infant siblings of children with ASD (n = 16) and low-risk comparison infants (n = 15) examined group differences in event-related potentials (ERPs) indexing processing of facial positive affect (N290/P400, Nc) at 9 months and their relation to joint attention at 15 months. Group differences were most pronounced for subtle facial expressions, in that the low-risk group exhibited relatively longer processing (P400 latency) and greater attention resource allocation (Nc amplitude). Exploratory analyses found associations between ERP responses and later joint attention, suggesting that attention to positive affect cues may support the development of other social competencies.
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