Preliminary findings on the different gaze patterns on animal-based and human-based picture books in autistic children

Picture books are commonly used as teaching materials for young children. There is a lack of understanding about how autistic children view picture books, raising the question of the type of picture books suitable for children on the autism spectrum. The current study aimed to investigate gaze characteristics of autistic children compared to non-autistic children when viewing animal- and human-based picture books using eye-tracking technology. Twelve pictures were selected from existing picture books (six animal-based, six human-based). Each picture was presented to participants (29 autistic children, M_age = 52.32 months, male: female = 25:4; 40 non-autistic children, M_age = 49.56 months, male: female = 24:16; age range = 42-62 months) in a random sequence. Participants' gaze data were recorded. Autistic children showed longer time to first fixation, shorter total fixation time, and less fixation points to characters in picture books compared to non-autistic children. Animal versus human characters shortened the time to first fixation in autistic but not non-autistic children. Both groups showed greater attention to socially relevant areas, hands and faces, in animal compared to human picture books. Autistic children showed reduced visual attention during picture book viewing compared to non-autistic children. Animal-based picture books were more effective at attracting and maintaining visual attention to socially relevant areas, suggesting their potential as educational tools for autistic children.