ERIC Number: EJ1396761
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1362-3613
EISSN: EISSN-1461-7005
Available Date: N/A
Automated Movement Tracking of Young Autistic Children during Free Play Is Correlated with Clinical Features Associated with Autism
Yuan, Andrew; Sabatos-DeVito, Maura; Bey, Alexandra L.; Major, Samantha; Carpenter, Kimberly L.H.; Franz, Lauren; Howard, Jill; Vermeer, Saritha; Simmons, Ryan; Troy, Jesse; Dawson, Geraldine
Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice, v27 n8 p2530-2541 2023
Autistic children's play provides insights into social, communication, and other skills; however, methods for measuring these observations can be labor-intensive and rely on subjective judgment. This study explored whether children's movement and location during play measured via automated video tracking correlates with clinical features. Movement tracking metrics of 164 autistic children (27-96 months old) during free play were analyzed in relation to standard assessments of cognitive, language, social-communication, and adaptive skills. Children with higher cognitive and language abilities were more likely to spend time in the center toy region and more slowly or never approached the region without toys. Children with higher autism-related features spent less time in the center. Children with lower daily living skills spent more time near the caregiver and those with lower overall adaptive and language skills approached the caregiver more quickly. Over 90% of autistic children representing a range of ages and skills provided analyzable movement data during play and those with higher cognitive, language, and adaptive skills displayed movement tracking patterns that reflect more sustained focus on toy play and independence from the caregiver. Results suggest that automated movement tracking is a promising complementary, objective method for assessing clinical variation during autistic children's play.
Descriptors: Autism Spectrum Disorders, Children, Play, Motion, Cognitive Ability, Language Skills, Interpersonal Communication, Communication Skills, Caregiver Child Relationship, Adjustment (to Environment), Behavior Rating Scales, Interpersonal Competence
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A