Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders

, Volume 42, Issue 9, pp 1917–1927 | Cite as

Autonomic Arousal to Direct Gaze Correlates with Social Impairments Among Children with ASD

  • Miia Kaartinen
  • Kaija Puura
  • Tiina Mäkelä
  • Mervi Rannisto
  • Riina Lemponen
  • Mika Helminen
  • Raili Salmelin
  • Sari-Leena Himanen
  • Jari K. Hietanen
Original Paper
First Online:

Abstract

The present study investigated whether autonomic arousal to direct gaze is related to social impairments among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Arousal was measured through skin conductance responses (SCR) while the participants (15 children with ASD and 16 control children) viewed a live face of another person. Impairments in social skills was assessed with the Developmental, Dimensional and Diagnostic Interview. The level of arousal enhancement to direct gaze in comparison to arousal to faces with averted gaze or closed eyes was positively associated with impairments in social skills (use of language and other social communication skills and use of gesture and non-verbal play) among children with ASD. There was no similar association among children without ASD. The role of arousal-related factors in influencing eye contact behaviour in ASD is discussed.

Keywords

Autism Eye contact Gaze Skin conductance Social skills 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

This study has been financially supported by the European Union (The GEBACO Project), The Medical Research Fund of Tampere University Hospital, The Child Psychiatric Research Foundation (Finland), The Emil Aaltonen Foundation, and the Academy of Finland (project n:o #1111850 and #131786 to J.K.H). We are very grateful to all the parents and children who participated in this study and made it possible.

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2012

Authors and Affiliations

  • Miia Kaartinen
    • 1
  • Kaija Puura
    • 1
  • Tiina Mäkelä
    • 2
  • Mervi Rannisto
    • 2
  • Riina Lemponen
    • 3
  • Mika Helminen
    • 3
    • 4
  • Raili Salmelin
    • 1
    • 3
  • Sari-Leena Himanen
    • 5
  • Jari K. Hietanen
    • 2
  1. 1.Department of Child PsychiatryTampere University Hospital and University of TampereTampereFinland
  2. 2.Human Information Processing Laboratory, School of Social Sciences and HumanitiesUniversity of TampereTampereFinland
  3. 3.Tampere School of Health SciencesUniversity of TampereTampereFinland
  4. 4.Pirkanmaa Hospital District, Science CenterTampereFinland
  5. 5.Department of Clinical NeurophysiologyTampere University HospitalTampereFinland

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