Social attention in a virtual public speaking task in higher functioning children with autism

Abstract

Impairments in social attention play a major role in autism, but little is known about their role in development after preschool. In this study, a public speaking task was used to study social attention, its moderators, and its association with classroom learning in elementary and secondary students with higher functioning autism spectrum disorder (HFASD). Thirty-seven students with HFASD and 54 age- and intelligence quotient (IQ)-matched peers without symptoms of ASD were assessed in a virtual classroom public speaking paradigm. This paradigm assessed the ability to attend to nine avatar peers seated at a table, while simultaneously answering self-referenced questions. Students with HFASD looked less frequently to avatar peers in the classroom while talking. However, social attention was moderated in the HFASD sample such that students with lower IQ, and/or more symptoms of social anxiety, and/or more attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder inattentive symptoms, displayed more atypical social attention. Group differences were more pronounced when the classroom contained social avatars versus nonsocial targets. Moreover, measures of social attention rather than nonsocial attention were significantly associated with parent report and objective measures of learning in the classroom. The data in this study support the hypothesis of the Social Attention Model of ASD that social attention disturbance remains part of the school-aged phenotype of autism that is related to syndrome-specific problems in social learning. More research of this kind would likely contribute to advances in the understanding of the development of the spectrum of autism and educational intervention approaches for affected school-aged children.

Keywords: cognition and learning; individual differences; school-aged development; social attention.

© 2013 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Figures

Figure 1

An 11 year-old watches a VR presentation (upper left) and displays HMD with video monitors in “flip up” position (upper right). A) The video monitors in the HMD. B) The head position monitor that provides precise information on direction of gaze in the virtual visual field based on three dimensions of head position (left/right yaw, up-down pitch, and tilt). C) Video monitor displays VR imagery for tester working with participants.

Figure 2

A) A view of the virtual classroom and peers (avatars) from the midline avatar in the left foreground to the extreme right-hand avatar. The field of vision included at most three avatars in the foreground at any one time. Children had to turn approximately 60 degrees from midline to view the extreme right-hand avatar. B) The view of the VR classroom from the extreme left avatar peer back to central avatar peer. C) Example of solid and faded avatar peers in the Cued Condition.

Figure 3

The comparative frequency of looks to Avatar Positions by the HFASD and TD groups.

Figure 4

Comparison of ADHD effects on orienting to avatar positions in the low social anxiety (upper panel) and high social anxiety HFASD subgroups.

Figure 5

The comparative effects of Diagnostic Group on orienting to Social Avatars (top panel) and Non-Social Targets (bottom panel) in the virtual reality classroom.