Developmental changes in face visual scanning in autism spectrum disorder as assessed by data-based analysis.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit altered visual attention to faces.
• Previous research on face scanning strategies in ASD has yielded conflicting results due to methodological variations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare face scanning strategies in children and adults with and without ASD using a unified methodology.
• To investigate developmental changes and temporal patterning in visual face scanning across the lifespan in typical and ASD populations.

Main Methods:

• Employed a data-driven approach with spatial statistics to analyze eye-tracking data from 54 participants across four groups: typical adults, typical children, adults with ASD, and children with ASD.
• Subjects performed a free viewing task of unfamiliar faces.

Main Results:

• Typical adults demonstrated a distinct spatial-temporal scanning strategy (right eye, left eye, mouth).
• Typically developing children, children with ASD, and adults with ASD shared similar fixation patterns, initiating with the right eye.
• Children (typical or ASD) then fixated on the left eye or mouth, unlike typical adults.

Conclusions:

• Face scanning patterns in adults with ASD do not mature to typical adult levels, remaining similar to children's patterns.
• This suggests a developmental arrest in visual face processing strategies within the ASD population, irrespective of age.