Unusual Gaze Direction Detection in Autism Spectrum Disorders

Detecting another person's gaze direction is essential for social interaction, as it reveals their attention, emotions, and intentions. Although nonverbal behavioral recognition anomalies are a defining feature of early development in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), research on their sensitivity to detecting others' gaze directions remains inconclusive. Furthermore, the correlation between this sensitivity and autism-related traits is not clear enough. This study employed a computerized gaze direction adaptation task presenting direct gaze (0°) and different angles of avoidance gaze (4°, 8°, 12°) to children in a simulated social context. Participants included 44 children. The results found that when presented with photographs of faces at 0° and a subtle averted gaze at 4°, no significant differences in accuracy or reaction times were observed between children with ASD and typically developing (TD) children. However, when the angle of gaze avoidance was 8° and 12°, children with ASD demonstrated lower accuracy in discerning the direction of another person's gaze compared to TD children, although their response time remained unaffected. Additionally, at a gaze angle of 12°, a negative correlation emerged between gaze-direction accuracy and autism-related trait severity in the ASD group. These findings suggest that children with ASD exhibit heightened sensitivity to gaze and are more likely to confuse direct and averted gaze than children with TD. This study addresses a gap in previous research and provides more detailed insights into how gaze perception contributes to impaired social interactions in ASD.