Visual Search Performance Does Not Relate to Autistic Traits in the General Population.
David López Pérez, Daniel P Kennedy, Przemysław Tomalski and 3 others
PMID 30778820WHAT IT FOUND
Higher parent-rated autistic traits were not linked to faster or more efficient visual search.
The finding held across reaction times, eye movements, accuracy, and the hardest searches.
Key findings
01Reaction times on the visual search task were not significantly related to autistic traits, including the most difficult searches.
02Eye movement measures and accuracy also showed no significant relation to autistic traits.
03The highest autistic traits group also showed no significant relation or difference in reaction times.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The sample was general population children with parent-rated autistic traits, so it does not directly show how visual search differs in clinical ASD. Eye-tracking data were collected from 723 children, but 608 were included after exclusions, so findings apply to children who completed valid trials. The high autistic traits group contained 30 participants, and the authors state they were underpowered to find weak effects at the extreme end. The study did not test an intervention, so it cannot support any therapy claim. The target changed from trial to trial, which may differ from earlier visual search studies in ASD.
Declared interests
The study was funded by H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, Riksbankens Jubileumsfond, and Vetenskapsrådet. The supplied text does not state author conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that children with high autistic traits have superior visual search. The study found no significant relation across many measures, and it studied general population traits, not a clinical ASD group.