Joint attention difficulties in autistic adults: An interactive eye-tracking study.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Social Cognition

Background:

• Joint attention is crucial for social communication and learning.
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is associated with early joint attention deficits.
• Limited research exists on joint attention in autistic adults.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate joint attention abilities in autistic adults.
• To compare social communication skills between autistic adults and neurotypical controls.
• To explore the adaptability of joint attention strategies in autistic adults.

Main Methods:

• An interactive eye-tracking paradigm was used with 17 autistic adults and 17 matched controls.
• Participants initiated and responded to joint attention bids with a digital avatar.
• A non-social spatial cueing task assessed attention and oculomotor control.

Main Results:

• Autistic adults completed fewer joint attention trials successfully compared to controls.
• Initial response times to joint attention bids were slower in autistic adults, improving over time.
• No group differences were observed in the non-social spatial cueing task.

Conclusions:

• Subtle difficulties with eye-gaze communication persist in autistic adults.
• Autistic adults can develop compensatory strategies for joint attention challenges.
• Eye-tracking reveals persistent, though adaptable, social communication differences in adulthood.