Eye Movements During Sentence Processing in High-functioning Autistic Children Compared to Neurotypical Peers: An Eye Tracking Study.

Introduction: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder. The pattern of eye movements during reading can significantly impact reading quality. This study aimed to examine the eye movement patterns, which are essential for reading, in children with ASD compared to their neurotypical peers. Methods: This study focused on two crucial indicators influencing reading: Eye fixation time and saccade movement. A comparison of parameters of saccade movements and eye fixation in a sentence reading task was done between two groups using an eye tracker device. Autistic children (15 children, mean age: 102.33 months) and their neurotypical peers (17 children, mean age: 101.69 months) participated in this study. Results: Compared to their neurotypical peers, children with ASD had lower amplitude while reading sentences (P=0.02). These children used more fixations to read the words in the sentence (P=0.02). Comparing the total time spent reading a sentence between the two groups shows that autistic children need more time to read a sentence (P=0.02). Conclusion: These results suggest that low-level sensorimotor processes in generating accurate eye movements, such as the dorsal visual pathway and cerebellum, can significantly impact the reading quality of children with ASD.