Distinct social attention profiles in preschoolers with autism contrasted to fragile X syndrome.

This research looked at how preschool children with autism and fragile X syndrome pay attention to social situations, comparing them to typically developing children. Both autism and fragile X groups had less eye contact and paid less attention to social scenes than typical children. However, children with autism looked at faces much less than the other groups. Children with lower developmental abilities and more severe autism symptoms had even less eye contact.

The study suggests autism involves broader social attention difficulties, while fragile X may involve avoiding social situations in specific contexts.

This study compared social attention profiles in preschool children with non-syndromic autism spectrum disorder (nsASD) and fragile X syndrome (FXS), matched on developmental ability and contrasted with neurotypical controls. Researchers examined multiple aspects of social attention including initial eye contact, facial attention, and social scene attention. Both nsASD and FXS groups showed reduced eye contact and lower social scene attention compared to neurotypical children. However, children with nsASD displayed significantly less facial attention than both FXS and neurotypical groups.

Lower developmental quotient and elevated autism severity were associated with decreased eye contact in both clinical groups. The findings suggest children with nsASD may have global social attention deficits, while FXS profiles may reflect more context-dependent social avoidance patterns.

Findings support tailored assessment approaches recognizing that autism and fragile X syndrome have overlapping yet distinct social attention profiles. Lower developmental ability and autism severity may indicate need for enhanced social attention interventions. Results suggest different underlying mechanisms may drive social attention difficulties in these conditions.

Sample size not reported. Study design unclear from abstract. Cross-sectional nature limits understanding of developmental trajectories. Unclear whether groups were matched on other relevant variables beyond developmental quotient. Limited information about measurement procedures and statistical approaches used.

Social attention is a critical skill for learning and development. Social attention difficulties are present in both non-syndromic autism spectrum disorder (nsASD) and fragile X syndrome (FXS), and our understanding of these difficulties is complicated by heterogeneity in both disorders, including co-occurring diagnoses like intellectual disability and social anxiety. Existing research largely utilizes a single index of social attention and rarely includes children with intellectual impairment or uses a cross-syndrome approach. This study investigated whether multi-trait social attention profiles including naturalistic initial eye contact, facial attention, and social scene attention differ in preschool children with nsASD and FXS matched on developmental ability (DQ) and contrasted to neurotypical (NT) controls.

The relationship between DQ, ASD severity, and social anxiety and social attention profiles was also examined. Initial eye contact related to social scene attention, implicating that naturalistic social attention is consistent with responses during experimental conditions. Reduced eye contact and lower social scene attention characterized nsASD and FXS. Children with nsASD displayed less facial attention than FXS and NT children, who did not differ.

Lower DQ and elevated ASD severity associated with decreased eye contact in nsASD and FXS, and lower DQ was associated with lower social scene attention in FXS. Sex, social anxiety, and age were not associated with social attention. These findings suggest social attention profiles of children with nsASD are highly similar to, yet distinct from, children with FXS. Children with nsASD may present with a global social attention deficit whereas FXS profiles may reflect context-dependent social avoidance.