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Article

Altered Visual Attention at 12 Months Predicts Joint Attention Ability and Socio-Communicative Development at 24 Months: A Single-Center Eye-Tracking Study on Infants at Elevated Likelihood to Develop Autism

by
Valeria Costanzo
1,
Fabio Apicella
1,*,
Lucia Billeci
2,
Alice Mancini
1,
Raffaella Tancredi
1,
Carolina Beretta
3,
Filippo Muratori
1,
Giacomo Vivanti
4 and
Sara Calderoni
1,5
1
Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, 56128 Pisa, Italy
2
Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council of Italy (CNR-IFC), 56124 Pisa, Italy
3
Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, 23842 Lecco, Italy
4
AJ Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
5
Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(6), 3288; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15063288
Submission received: 22 January 2025 / Revised: 12 March 2025 / Accepted: 14 March 2025 / Published: 17 March 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Research in Behavioral Neuroscience and in Neurorehabilitation)
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Abstract

Early identification of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) can significantly improve outcomes. Deficits in joint attention (JA) abilities, considered a milestone in socio-communicative development, are among the earliest indicators of ASD. The purpose of this study is to examine if the ability to disengage visual attention (DA) at 12 months could predict joint attention abilities and socio-communicative development at 24 months in a population of infants at increased likelihood and reduced likelihood to develop ASD. Latency of DA at 12 months was analyzed through an eye-tracking paradigm in a group of 56 infants at increased (IL = 29) or reduced (RL = 27) likelihood to develop ASD. JA at 12 months was assessed through items from the Early Social Communication Scales. Diagnostic status was established at 24 months, with 10 children receiving a diagnosis of ASD. A higher DA latency at 12 months is correlated with a lower frequency of JA behaviors at 12 months and with poorer JA abilities at 24 months. Altered visual attention at 12 months was also correlated with socio-communicative development at 24 months and, together with lower JA abilities at 12 months, correlated with diagnostic status. Our findings point to the potential relevance of DA and JA skills as prognostic markers and intervention targets.
Keywords: ASD; early diagnosis; attention disengagement; joint attention; eye tracking; visual attention; infants at elevated likelihood; early identification; socio-communicative development; early predictors ASD; early diagnosis; attention disengagement; joint attention; eye tracking; visual attention; infants at elevated likelihood; early identification; socio-communicative development; early predictors

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MDPI and ACS Style

Costanzo, V.; Apicella, F.; Billeci, L.; Mancini, A.; Tancredi, R.; Beretta, C.; Muratori, F.; Vivanti, G.; Calderoni, S. Altered Visual Attention at 12 Months Predicts Joint Attention Ability and Socio-Communicative Development at 24 Months: A Single-Center Eye-Tracking Study on Infants at Elevated Likelihood to Develop Autism. Appl. Sci. 2025, 15, 3288. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15063288

AMA Style

Costanzo V, Apicella F, Billeci L, Mancini A, Tancredi R, Beretta C, Muratori F, Vivanti G, Calderoni S. Altered Visual Attention at 12 Months Predicts Joint Attention Ability and Socio-Communicative Development at 24 Months: A Single-Center Eye-Tracking Study on Infants at Elevated Likelihood to Develop Autism. Applied Sciences. 2025; 15(6):3288. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15063288

Chicago/Turabian Style

Costanzo, Valeria, Fabio Apicella, Lucia Billeci, Alice Mancini, Raffaella Tancredi, Carolina Beretta, Filippo Muratori, Giacomo Vivanti, and Sara Calderoni. 2025. "Altered Visual Attention at 12 Months Predicts Joint Attention Ability and Socio-Communicative Development at 24 Months: A Single-Center Eye-Tracking Study on Infants at Elevated Likelihood to Develop Autism" Applied Sciences 15, no. 6: 3288. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15063288

APA Style

Costanzo, V., Apicella, F., Billeci, L., Mancini, A., Tancredi, R., Beretta, C., Muratori, F., Vivanti, G., & Calderoni, S. (2025). Altered Visual Attention at 12 Months Predicts Joint Attention Ability and Socio-Communicative Development at 24 Months: A Single-Center Eye-Tracking Study on Infants at Elevated Likelihood to Develop Autism. Applied Sciences, 15(6), 3288. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15063288

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