title: Brief report: eye-movement patterns during an embedded figures test in children with ASD.
abstract: The present study examined fixation frequency and duration during an Embedded Figures Test (EFT) in an effort to better understand the attentional and perceptual processes by which individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) achieve accelerated EFT performance. In particular, we aimed to elucidate differences in the patterns of eye-movement in ASD and typically developing (TD) children, thus providing evidence relevant to the competing theories of weak central coherence (WCC) and enhanced perceptual functioning. Consistent with prior EFT studies, we found accelerated response time (RT) in children with ASD. No group differences were seen for fixation frequency, but the ASD group made significantly shorter fixations compared to the TD group. Eye-movement results indicate that RT advantage in ASD is related to both WCC and enhanced perceptual functioning.
authors.affiliation: San Diego State University, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Brandon
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Keehn
authors.forename: Laurie A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Brenner
authors.forename: Aurora I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: Alan J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Lincoln
authors.forename: Sandra P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.forename: Ralph-Axel
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Müller
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001288:Attention; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition; D005133:Eye Movements; D005403:Fixation, Ocular; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011930:Reaction Time; D014796:Visual Perception; D055815:Young Adult