Towards an Early Screening Tool for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Abstract

In recent years, eye-tracking methodology technique has been the object of study used in different investigations as a potential objective measure of the diagnosis of ASD. In the present study, a total of 15 stimulus videos have been prepared. These are divided into four blocks to design an objective test with simple and rapid application, by using an eye-tracker device, which allows an early diagnosis of ASD. To do so, we measured a sample made up of 148 subjects, 74 subjects with ASD and 74 with typical development. The results confirm that it is possible to configure a software that, after analysing the gaze records of a baby obtained with an eye-tracker device, automatically provides us with its probability of presenting an "ASD or no ASD Gaze Pattern". With the tasks presented here, after analysing the sensitivity of each video and each variable, statistically significant results have been obtained in each of the stimulus videos. Based on that output, it can be concluded that the eye-tracking methodology with the use of the stimuli designed here can be used as an objective and effective diagnostic method for ASD.