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Updated: Jun 5, 2025
Eye Tracking Young Children with Autism
Published on: March 27, 2012
Let the eyes do the talking: A scoping review of eye-tracking in paediatric communication assessment and intervention
Lauren Hoopmann1, Benjamin Bailey1,2, Joanne Arciuli1
1Caring Futures Institute in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia and.
Purpose:
Eye-tracking technologies are of great interest to individuals who use them to communicate and their supporters. This review maps and critically evaluates the research on eye-tracking in paediatric communication assessment and intervention, including user perceptions, to guide future clinical practice and identify future practice-related research priorities. In an advance on previous reviews, the study reports on effect sizes, as well as research quality and reproducibility of included studies.
Method:
Seven databases were sytematically searched using terms related to eye-tracking, the paediatric population, and communication assessment or intervention. Information on study design and key findings, including effect sizes, were extracted. Research quality and reproducibility were evaluated using validated measures.
Result:
Included studies explored the use of eye-tracking in paediatric communication assessment (n = 14) or intervention (n = 10) and/or users' perceptions of eye-tracking technologies in speech-language pathology (n = 7). Eye-tracking was well-received and has been used effectively to measure and support children's communication, though effect sizes varied. Opportunities for improved research quality and reproducibility are identified.
Conclusion:
Eye-tracking technologies can be integrated into paediatric communication assessment and intervention and are generally well received by child users and their supporters. Clinical implications and directions for future practice-related research are discussed.
