Fascinating images reveal how people with autism see the world
In the study, people with autism tended to focus on the center of images, even when other objects were in a photo.
People with autism also looked at the edges and patterns in the images rather than faces.
Participants only viewed each image for three seconds, so it captured their first instincts.
People with autism tended not to follow the object of people's gazes in the photos, while neurotypical participants did.
You can see how the changes in attention between neurotypical participants and those with autism differ.
About one in 68 children in the US have autism — a rate that's higher today than in the past due to new diagnostic criteria and a surge in awareness.
Source: CDC
While doctors are getting better at diagnosing children with the disorder, it's still pretty difficult to do.
Researchers are looking at ways to diagnose autism earlier, so interventions can begin sooner rather than later. Eye-tracking could help.
Source: BabySibs
The BabySibs project, for example, is using eye-tracking software to find diagnosable differences between infants with autism and those who are neurotypical.
Source: BabySibs
BabySibs researchers have found that babies with autism prefer to look at scrambled faces rather than normal pictures of faces.
Source: BabySibs
Infants with autism actually prefer to listen to computer-generated sounds rather than speech, too, the BabySibs project found.
Source: 2013 study
If doctors and parents can identify children with autism sooner, hopefully they can receive the support they need to live more fulfilling lives.
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