Journal article
Altered Visual Attention at 12 Months Predicts Joint Attention Ability and Socio-Communicative Development at 24 Months: A Single-Center Eye-Tracking Study on Infants at Elevated Likelihood to Develop Autism
Applied sciences, v 15(6), p3288
17 Mar 2025
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Early identification of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) can significantly improve outcomes. Deficits in joint attention (JA) abilities, considered a milestone in socio-communicative development, are among the earliest indicators of ASD. The purpose of this study is to examine if the ability to disengage visual attention (DA) at 12 months could predict joint attention abilities and socio-communicative development at 24 months in a population of infants at increased likelihood and reduced likelihood to develop ASD. Latency of DA at 12 months was analyzed through an eye-tracking paradigm in a group of 56 infants at increased (IL = 29) or reduced (RL = 27) likelihood to develop ASD. JA at 12 months was assessed through items from the Early Social Communication Scales. Diagnostic status was established at 24 months, with 10 children receiving a diagnosis of ASD. A higher DA latency at 12 months is correlated with a lower frequency of JA behaviors at 12 months and with poorer JA abilities at 24 months. Altered visual attention at 12 months was also correlated with socio-communicative development at 24 months and, together with lower JA abilities at 12 months, correlated with diagnostic status. Our findings point to the potential relevance of DA and JA skills as prognostic markers and intervention targets.
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Details
- Title
- Altered Visual Attention at 12 Months Predicts Joint Attention Ability and Socio-Communicative Development at 24 Months: A Single-Center Eye-Tracking Study on Infants at Elevated Likelihood to Develop Autism
- Creators
- Valeria Costanzo - Fondazione Stella MarisFabio Apicella - Fondazione Stella MarisLucia Billeci - Istituto di Fisiologia ClinicaAlice Mancini - Fondazione Stella MarisRaffaella Tancredi - Fondazione Stella MarisCarolina Beretta - IRCCS Eugenio MedeaFilippo Muratori - Fondazione Stella MarisGiacomo Vivanti - Drexel UniversitySara Calderoni - Fondazione Stella Maris
- Publication Details
- Applied sciences, v 15(6), p3288
- Publisher
- MDPI
- Number of pages
- 16
- Grant note
- Italian Ministry of Health Grant: NET-2013-02355263-3 The 5 x 1000 voluntary contributionsFIA-Fondazione Italiana Autismo
The work leading to these results was supported by the Italian Ministry of Health Grant-NET-2013-02355263-3, by the 5 x 1000 voluntary contributions and by the FIA-Fondazione Italiana Autismo.
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Psychological and Brain Sciences (Psychology); A.J. Drexel Autism Institute
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001453469000001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-105000913424
- Other Identifier
- 991022041367404721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
- Engineering, Multidisciplinary
- Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
- Physics, Applied