title: Impaired eye region search accuracy in children with autistic spectrum disorders.
abstract: To explore mechanisms underlying reduced fixation of eyes in autism, children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) and typically developing children were tested in five visual search experiments: simple color feature; color-shape conjunction; face in non-face objects; mouth region; and eye region. No group differences were found for reaction time profile shapes in any of the five experiments, suggesting intact basic search mechanics in children with ASD. Contrary to early reports in the literature, but consistent with other more recent findings, we observed no superiority for conjunction search in children with ASD. Importantly, children with ASD did show reduced accuracy for eye region search (p = .005), suggesting that eyes contribute less to high-level face representations in ASD or that there is an eye region-specific disruption to attentional processes engaged by search in ASD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA. pruettj@psychiatry.wustl.edu
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Pruett
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hoertel
authors.forename: John N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Constantino
authors.forename: Angela LaMacchia
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Moll
authors.forename: Kelly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McVey
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Squire
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Feczko
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Povinelli
authors.forename: Steven E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Petersen
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005403:Fixation, Ocular; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000150:complications; D014796:Visual Perception