Gaze Following, Gaze Reading, and Word Learning in Children at Risk for Autism

摘要: This study investigated gaze-following abilities as a prerequisite for word learning, in population expected to manifest wide range of social and communicative skills—children with family history autism. Fifty-three 3-year-olds or without autism took part televised word-learning task. Using an eye-tracker monitor children’s gaze behavior, it was shown that the ability follow necessary but not sufficient successful learning. Those children who had poor skills followed labeled object did then learn associated word. These findings shed light on conditions lead learning typical atypical populations.