Gaze Fixation and Visual Searching Behaviors during an Immersive Virtual Reality Social Skills Training Experience for Children and Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Children and youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) display difficulties recognizing and interacting with behavioral expressions of emotion, a deficit that makes social interaction problematic. Social skills training is foundational to the treatment of ASD, yet this intervention is costly, time-consuming, lacks objectivity, and is difficult to deliver in real-world settings. This pilot project investigated the use of an immersive virtual reality (IVR) headset to simulate real-world social interactions for children/youth with ASD. The primary objective was to describe gaze fixation and visual search behaviors during the simulated activity. Ten participants were enrolled and completed one social-skills training session in the IVR. The results demonstrate differential patterns between participants with mild, moderate, and severe ASD in the location and duration of gaze fixation as well as the patterns of visual searching. Although the results are preliminary, these differences may shed light on phenotypes within the continuum of ASD. Additionally, there may be value in quantifying gaze and visual search behaviors as an objective metric of interventional effectiveness for social-skills training therapy.

Telehealth Evaluation in the United States: Protocol for a Scoping Review

“…First, the rapidly evolving state of telehealth programs, along with the emergence of innovative telehealth tools, has underscored the pressing need for a comprehensive grasp of the essential concepts that should be considered in their evaluation. For instance, the growing use of artificial intelligence in clinical assessments and the application of virtual reality among pediatric patients with autism spectrum disorder have garnered broad attention [21,22]. It is imperative to acquire a broader evaluation framework that accommodates these emerging technologies and provides a comprehensive understanding of integrating state-of-the-art technologies on telehealth platforms.…”

Desarrollo de la comprensión emocional. ¿Qué tipo de tecnología para qué alumno con trastorno del espectro autista? Revisión sistemática

“…La investigación ha mostrado que tanto los comportamientos de fijación de la mirada como la búsqueda visual difiere entre participantes con TEA y neurotípicos. Los adolescentes con TEA muestran una modulación más débil de los movimientos oculares y dedican menos tiempo a mirar las caras, lo que correlaciona con el reconocimiento emocional facial (Elkin et al, 2022;Grynszpan et al, 2012). Además, mientras que los adolescentes neurotípicos parecen mostrar una codificación más holística para los ojos que para la boca en rostros expresivos, los adolescentes con TEA exhiben el patrón inverso.…”

“…Tanto los comportamientos de fijación de la mirada y búsqueda visual como las estrategias de procesamiento emocional muestran una fuerte correlación con la severidad de los síntomas de los estudiantes con TEA (Elkin et al, 2022) y el CI (Tanaka et al, 2012). Así, aunque los estudios de seguimiento ocular, electrofisiológicos y de imágenes cerebrales muestren patrones de mirada atípicos, componentes -73 -de potenciales evocados retrasados y una actividad anómala en los circuitos de procesamiento emocional, los estudiantes con TEA de AF podrían presentar un desempeño conductual adecuado (Narzisi et al, 2023).…”