The investigators hypothesize that this serious game (designed to provide a learning environment that maximizes opportunities for adolescents with autism to discover the functional utility of eye gaze) will improve sensitivity to eye gaze cues, specifically to identify gazed-at objects, and will also lead to increased social attention to faces in adolescents with autism. The investigators will test this hypothesis in a small-scale exploratory randomized control trial that will include both behavioral and eye tracking outcome measures.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
40
The game involves viewing subtle nonverbal behaviors of game characters for the purpose of executing their own goal-directed behavior in the game related to solving various crimes. The learning involves interpreting nonverbal cues on the animated characters, such as pointing, head turns, eye gaze cues.
Pennsylvania State University
University Park, Pennsylvania, United States
Static Eye Gaze Following Task
Eye tracking and accuracy
Time frame: 2 months
Dynamic Eye Gaze Following Task
Eye tracking and accuracy
Time frame: 2 Months
Social/Visual Attention Task
Eye tracking
Time frame: 2 Months
Social Responsiveness Scale
Parents completing measure of autism-like behavior in adolescents
Time frame: 2 months
Social Skills Inventory System - Child version
Adolescents completing measure of social skills and problem behaviors in themselves
Time frame: 2 months
Social Skills Inventory System - Adult version
Parents completing measure of social skills and problem behaviors in adolescents
Time frame: 2 months
Treatment as Usual
Parents reporting on social and behavioral treatments adolescents receiving in and out of school
Time frame: 2 months
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