Operationalizing atypical gaze in toddlers with autism spectrum disorders: a cohesion-based approach.

The method was tested on only one 3-minute video, so it may not generalize to other stimuli or settings. The Joint Attention condition was excluded from the main model because the typical group had no high-cohesion frames in that condition. The correlations with autism symptoms were exploratory and not corrected for multiple comparisons. The same 10% high-cohesion cutoff was used for all groups, but it corresponded to different screen distances or visual angles in the autism and developmental-delay groups. The study included toddlers only, so it is unclear whether the method applies across ages. The study measured gaze during one eye-tracking session and did not test treatment or outcomes, so it cannot tell therapists whether changing gaze behavior helps. Some diagnoses were made later than the eye-tracking visit, though the authors state diagnosis stability is high.

The study was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences, the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, and Autism Speaks. The supplied text does not state author conflicts of interest.

Do not use this gaze score to diagnose autism or to track therapy progress. The study tested one video in toddlers, excluded the joint-attention condition from the main model, and the symptom correlations were exploratory.