New Insights into Face Perception in Autistic Children

A recent study by researchers from the University of Houston reveals differing patterns in how autistic children perceive and process human faces. By tracking eye movements, it was discovered that autistic children are more exploratory in their gaze, focusing on non-social regions, which suggests a unique approach to social visual processing.

Researchers from the University of Houston have unveiled groundbreaking findings on how autistic children perceive human faces. This study, published in Biological Psychiatry, monitored the eye movements of nearly 400 children to understand social perception behaviors in those with autism.

Results indicated that children on the autism spectrum displayed an 'exploratory' eye movement pattern, concentrating on non-social regions of the face before focusing on socially relevant features. This pattern contrasts sharply with the more direct focus seen in non-autistic children, highlighting a distinct perceptual process.

Study author, Jason Griffin, noted that understanding these eye movement patterns could be crucial in identifying autism-related challenges and improving facial processing skills in autistic children.

(With inputs from agencies.)