The Characteristics Of Responding To Joint Attention In Toddlers With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Objective: In the current study,we investigate the characteristics of responding to joint attention(RJA)in toddlers with autism spectrum disorder(ASD).Methods: The participants were 28 toddlers with autism spectrum disorders,15 language disorders peers and 16 typically developing(TD)peers,who were diagnosed according to the Autism Diagnosis Observation Schedule(ADOS)and Gesell Development Diagnosis Scale(GDDS).ASD group as the study group,language disorder group and TD group as control group respectively.Both of them were from the Children and Adolescents' Developmental-Behavioral Health Centre of Children Hospital of Chongqing Medical University,and they were age-matched and gender-matched.Eye-tracking technology was used to monitor the gaze of all the participants during the presentation of short video sequences involving RJA.The number of correct RJA,error RJA and non-RJA were analyzed,and the number of evaluating the achievement of joint attention(EAJA)of correct RJA,the number of correct RJA in each stimulus types conditions(big toys,little toys,dolls,plants and human beings)also should be recorded.The correct indexes of RJA and relative correct indexes of RJA were be calculated.Results: 1.Toddlers with ASD reflect the lowest opportunities of the correct RJA and the least relative correct indexes of RJA compared with the language disorders group and TD group(p<0.05),as well as the correct indexes of RJA(p<0.05).2.The ASD group have the lowest level of EAJA compared with the language disorders group and TD group,and there are significant difference among them(p=0.003).3.Toddlers with ASD showed the least frequent responses to RJA when the stimulus types was human beings,compared with language disorders toddlers and TD toddlers(p=0.045).Conclusion: 1.Toddlers with ASD response demonstrates that RJA behaviors are reduced both in quantity and quality and the EAJA is deficits in RJA.It may indicate that RJA behavior is just a conditioned reflex for toddlers with ASD.2.Using the human beings as the stimulus for RJA eye-tracking task to identify ASD may be more effective.