Journal article
Visual statistical learning and social attention in neurotypical, minimally speaking and speaking autistic preschoolers
Scientific reports, v 15(1), 38952
06 Nov 2025
PMID: 41198768
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Autistic children experience atypical patterns of spoken language acquisition, yet the mechanisms underlying these differences remain poorly understood. In typical development, spoken language acquisition is gated by statistical learning abilities (the ability to detect patterns) and social attention (preferential engagement with social vs. non-social stimuli). The potential role of these mechanisms in the spoken language atypicalities seen in autism are under-researched, partly due to the methodological barriers when assessing children with minimal spoken language in this population. Here we examined statistical learning and social attention in 13 autistic preschoolers who use spoken language (mean chronological age = 34.38, SD = 8.16), 15 autistic preschoolers with minimal or no spoken language (mean chronological age = 30.20, SD = 7.07), and 15 neurotypical peers (mean chronological age = 36.73, SD = 6.51) using novel eye-tracking paradigms. Participants across groups showed evidence of statistical learning (anticipation of future events based on previous events) and showed preferential attention for social over non-social stimuli, with no between-groups differences. Within-group analyses revealed no association between spoken language skills, measured via the Mullen Scales of Early Learning Expressive Language and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales Expressive Communication subscales, and total fixation duration indexes of statistical learning and social attention in the eye-tracking paradigms. Our findings point to previously unknown strengths in autistic children who are minimally speaking across statistical learning and social attention, suggesting that spoken language differences in this population might be unrelated to these domains.
Metrics
9 Record Views
Details
- Title
- Visual statistical learning and social attention in neurotypical, minimally speaking and speaking autistic preschoolers
- Creators
- Eleonora Paolizzi (Corresponding Author) - Drexel UniversityGioia Cavalli - Drexel UniversityNancy Raitano Lee - Drexel UniversityGiacomo Vivanti - Drexel University
- Publication Details
- Scientific reports, v 15(1), 38952
- Publisher
- Nature Publishing Group
- Number of pages
- 9
- Grant note
- R21HD090344 / Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (https://doi.org/10.13039/100009633)
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Psychological and Brain Sciences (Psychology); A.J. Drexel Autism Institute
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001610750700038
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-105021047782
- Other Identifier
- 991022130777104721
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:
InCites Highlights
Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:
- Web of Science research areas
- Psychology, Developmental