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Updated: Sep 12, 2026
Eye Tracking Young Children with Autism
Published on: March 27, 2012
Autism symptoms, functional impairments, and gaze fixation measured using an eye-tracker in 6-year-old children
Toko Mori1, Kenji J Tsuchiya2,3, Taeko Harada2,3
1Faculty of Nursing, Shijonawate Gakuen University, Osaka, Japan.
Insights
Children with less eye contact may show more autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms. Lower gaze fixation on the mouth is linked to poorer social functioning in children. Early eye-tracking can predict ASD and functional challenges.
Area of Science:
- Neurodevelopmental disorders
- Pediatric psychology
- Ophthalmology
Background:
- Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by social interaction abnormalities, particularly in eye contact.
- Eye-tracking technology offers a potential objective measure for assessing social attention deficits in ASD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between gaze fixation patterns at age 6 years and ASD symptoms.
- To determine if eye-tracking measures predict functional impairments in children.
Main Methods:
- 742 children from the Hamamatsu Birth Cohort Study were assessed.
- Autistic symptoms evaluated using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2).
- Child functioning assessed with the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Second Edition (VABS-II).
- Gazefinder eye-tracking system measured gaze fixation on eyes and mouth during a video clip.
Main Results:
- Higher gaze fixation on eyes correlated with a lower likelihood of severe ASD symptoms (OR, 0.02; 95% CI, 0.002-0.38).
- Gaze fixation on the mouth was not linked to ASD symptoms.
- Higher gaze fixation on the mouth was associated with better VABS-II socialization scores (OR, 0.18; 95% CI, 0.04-0.85).
Conclusions:
- Reduced eye gaze fixation is linked to increased ASD symptoms.
- Lower mouth gaze fixation predicts poorer social functioning.
- Eye-tracking in preschool may identify children at risk for ASD and functional deficits.
Introduction:
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder clinically characterized by abnormalities in eye contact during social exchanges. We aimed to clarify whether the amount of gaze fixation, measured at the age of 6 years using Gazefinder, which is an established eye-tracking device, is associated with ASD symptoms and functioning.
Methods:
The current study included 742 participants from the Hamamatsu Birth Cohort Study. Autistic symptoms were evaluated according to the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2), and the functioning of the participating children in real life was assessed using the Japanese version of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Second Edition (VABS-II). The Gazefinder system was used for gaze fixation rates; two areas of interest (eyes and mouth) were defined in a talking movie clip, and eye gaze positions were calculated through corneal reflection techniques.
Results:
The participants had an average age of 6.06 ± 0.14 years (males: 384; 52%). According to ADOS, 617 (83%) children were assessed as having none/mild ASD and 51 (7%) as severe. The average VABS-II scores were approximately 100 (standard deviation = 12). A higher gaze fixation rate on the eyes was associated with a significantly lower likelihood of the child being assigned to the severe ADOS group after controlling for covariates (odds ratio [OR], 0.02; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.002-0.38). The gaze fixation rate on the mouth was not associated with ASD symptoms. A higher gaze fixation rate on the mouth was associated with a significantly lower likelihood of the child being assigned to the low score group in VABS-II socialization after controlling for covariates (OR, 0.18; 95% CI, 0.04-0.85). The gaze fixation rate on the eyes was not associated with functioning.
Conclusion:
We found that children with low gaze fixation rates on the eyes were likely to have more ASD symptoms, and children with low gaze fixation rates on the mouth were likely to demonstrate poorer functioning in socialization. Hence, preschool children could be independently assessed in the general population for clinically relevant endophenotypes predictive of ASD symptoms and functional impairments.
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