A brief report: Quantifying and correlating social behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorders

The current study investigated social behaviors, including initiating joint attention (IJA), responding to joint attention (RJA), social orienting, and imitation in 14 children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared to 12 typically developing children (TD). Results indicated that IJA and RJA were positively correlated with social orienting in both groups, replicating previous results with greater precision through the use of eye-tracking technology. Additionally, results supported the novel hypothesis that social orienting and imitation would be positively correlated in the ASD group, but not in the TD group. Joint attention and imitation were not significantly correlated in either group. Through the use of objective and automated eye gaze measurement more precise information is provided concerning the relation among commonly impaired social behaviors in children with ASD.

► Replicating past research, initiating and responding to joint attention were positively correlated with social orienting in both children with autism and typically developing children.
► Novelly, in the autism group, but not the typically developing group, social orienting and motor imitation were positively correlated.
► Motor imitation was not significantly correlated joint attention.
► Joint attention and social orienting were quantified using eye-tracking methodology to increase measurement precision.