Research on the Influence of Target Features on the Visual Tracking of Children with Autism

Abstract

Children with autism have visual processing disorders to external dynamic stimuli. In the face of a large amount of dynamic information in real life, whether children with autism can normally perceive and maintain visual attention is the basis of whether they can make appropriate behavioral responses. Therefore, analyzing their characteristics of visual tracking and processing of dynamic information is particularly important for the learning and development of children with autism. In this study, 41 children with autism aged 3-7 years were recruited as research participants. The free-viewing paradigm and multi-factor in-subject experimental design were adopted. Eye-tracking technology was used to analyze the characteristics of visual tracking and processing of dynamic information in children with autism. The results showed that visual tracking of children with autism was affected by various features of the target. As the target moving speed increased, visual tracking of children with autism became better. They had better visual tracking performance of targets moving in regular paths than irregular paths. They showed less attention to social target than non-social target, which might be one of the reasons for their social disorders. The result of this study would provide a variety of empirical evidence for research in the field of visual tracking of children with autism, and provide guidance for the design of effective interventional learning materials.