Dynamic Eye Tracking as a Predictor and Outcome Measure of Social Skills Intervention in Adolescents and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Rachel K Greene; Julia Parish-Morris; Miranda Sullivan; Jessica L Kinard; Maya G Mosner; Lauren M Turner-Brown; David L Penn; Christopher A Wiesen; Ashley A Pallathra; Edward S Brodkin; Robert T Schultz; Gabriel S Dichter

doi:10.1007/s10803-020-04594-1

Dynamic Eye Tracking as a Predictor and Outcome Measure of Social Skills Intervention in Adolescents and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

J Autism Dev Disord. 2021 Apr;51(4):1173-1187. doi: 10.1007/s10803-020-04594-1.

Authors

Rachel K Greene^{1

2}, Julia Parish-Morris³, Miranda Sullivan^{4

5}, Jessica L Kinard^{4

6}, Maya G Mosner^{1

3}, Lauren M Turner-Brown⁷, David L Penn¹, Christopher A Wiesen⁸, Ashley A Pallathra^{9

10}, Edward S Brodkin⁹, Robert T Schultz³, Gabriel S Dichter^{11

12}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
² Institute on Development and Disability, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
³ Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
⁴ Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
⁵ School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.
⁶ Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
⁷ TEACCH Autism Program, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
⁸ The Odum Institute, The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
⁹ Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
¹⁰ Department of Psychology, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, USA.
¹¹ Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. dichter@med.unc.edu.
¹² Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. dichter@med.unc.edu.

Abstract

To evaluate an eye tracking task as a predictor and outcome measure of treatment response for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) social skills interventions, adolescents and young adults with ASD completed the eye tracking task before, immediately after, and two months after completing Social Cognition and Interaction Training for Autism (SCIT-A). The study compared SCIT-A participants (n = 20) to participants with ASD who received treatment as usual (TAU; n = 21). Overall, increased visual attention to faces and background objects and decreased attention to hands playing with toys at baseline were associated with improved social functioning immediately following intervention, suggesting this eye tracking task may reliably predict ASD social intervention outcomes.

Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder; Eye tracking; Social skills intervention; Treatment outcome.

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Autism Spectrum Disorder / rehabilitation
Autism Spectrum Disorder / therapy*
Eye Movements
Eye-Tracking Technology*
Female
Humans
Male
Outcome Assessment, Health Care
Psychotherapy / methods*
Social Skills*

Abstract

MeSH terms

Grants and funding