title: Visual scanning and pupillary responses in young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
abstract: Using eye-tracking technology we investigated visual scanning and pupillary responses to face and non-face stimuli in nine children (M = 49.6 months) with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) compared to six mental-age and nine chronological-age matched children. The results revealed a significant decrease in visual scanning to landscapes. In addition, the ASD group showed pupillary constriction to children's faces, while control groups showed pupillary dilation. Visual scanning responses to landscapes had a negative correlation with the Behavior subscale of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Generic for the ASD group. Potential use of these measures as early indicators of ASD is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA. cjanders@ku.edu
authors.forename: Christa J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Colombo
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jill Shaddy
mesh_terms: D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005145:Face; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011680:Pupil / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric