Gesture Imitation Performance and Visual Exploration in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder / Kenza LATRÈCHE in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 56-2 (February 2026)  

Public ISBD [article]  inJournal of Autism and Developmental Disorders > 56-2 (February 2026) . - p.695-708 Titre : Gesture Imitation Performance and Visual Exploration in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Type de document : texte imprimé Auteurs : Kenza LATRÈCHE, Auteur ; Nada KOJOVIC, Auteur ; Irène PITTET, Auteur ; Shreyasvi NATRAJ, Auteur ; Martina FRANCHINI, Auteur ; Isabel M. SMITH, Auteur ; Marie SCHAER, Auteur Article en page(s) : p.695-708 Langues : Anglais (eng) Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Most studies in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) support a decrement in imitation performance. Factors related to visual attention and motor execution have been proposed to explain this phenomenon in ASD. However, studies investigated imitation with various methods, leading to inconsistent findings. Here, we examine imitation performance related to visual attention and motor execution. We focused on the imitation of meaningful and meaningless gestures, consistently reported as more affected than imitation of actions with objects in ASD. The imitation eye-tracking task consisted of a video of an actor demonstrating gestures and prompting children to imitate them. The demonstrations comprised meaningful and meaningless hand gestures, and meaningless facial gestures. We measured the fixation duration to the actor’ face during child-directed speech and gesture demonstrations. We video-recorded children to assess their performance. Our sample comprised 100 participants (3.55 ± 1.11 years old), including 84 children with ASD. The ASD and typically developing groups displayed the same visual attention toward gesture demonstrations, although children with ASD spent less time looking at the face during facial stimuli. Visual exploration of actors’ gestures did not influence imitation performance. Imitation of meaningful gestures was associated with less severe autistic symptoms, whereas imitation of meaningless gestures was correlated with higher non-verbal cognitive and fine-motor skills. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the complexity of imitation. We delineated the distinct nature of imitation of meaningful and meaningless gestures in children with ASD. We discuss clinical implications in relation to assessment and intervention programs. En ligne : https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-024-06595-w Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=580 [article] Gesture Imitation Performance and Visual Exploration in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder [texte imprimé] / Kenza LATRÈCHE, Auteur ; Nada KOJOVIC, Auteur ; Irène PITTET, Auteur ; Shreyasvi NATRAJ, Auteur ; Martina FRANCHINI, Auteur ; Isabel M. SMITH, Auteur ; Marie SCHAER, Auteur . - p.695-708. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders > 56-2 (February 2026) . - p.695-708 Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Most studies in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) support a decrement in imitation performance. Factors related to visual attention and motor execution have been proposed to explain this phenomenon in ASD. However, studies investigated imitation with various methods, leading to inconsistent findings. Here, we examine imitation performance related to visual attention and motor execution. We focused on the imitation of meaningful and meaningless gestures, consistently reported as more affected than imitation of actions with objects in ASD. The imitation eye-tracking task consisted of a video of an actor demonstrating gestures and prompting children to imitate them. The demonstrations comprised meaningful and meaningless hand gestures, and meaningless facial gestures. We measured the fixation duration to the actor’ face during child-directed speech and gesture demonstrations. We video-recorded children to assess their performance. Our sample comprised 100 participants (3.55 ± 1.11 years old), including 84 children with ASD. The ASD and typically developing groups displayed the same visual attention toward gesture demonstrations, although children with ASD spent less time looking at the face during facial stimuli. Visual exploration of actors’ gestures did not influence imitation performance. Imitation of meaningful gestures was associated with less severe autistic symptoms, whereas imitation of meaningless gestures was correlated with higher non-verbal cognitive and fine-motor skills. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the complexity of imitation. We delineated the distinct nature of imitation of meaningful and meaningless gestures in children with ASD. We discuss clinical implications in relation to assessment and intervention programs. En ligne : https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-024-06595-w Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=580

Phenotyping variability in early socio-communicative skills in young children with autism and its influence on later development / Fiona JOURNAL in Autism Research, 17-10 (October 2024)  

Public ISBD [article]  inAutism Research > 17-10 (October 2024) . - p.2030-2044 Titre : Phenotyping variability in early socio-communicative skills in young children with autism and its influence on later development Type de document : texte imprimé Auteurs : Fiona JOURNAL, Auteur ; Martina FRANCHINI, Auteur ; Michel GODEL, Auteur ; Nada KOJOVIC, Auteur ; Kenza LATRÈCHE, Auteur ; Stefania SOLAZZO, Auteur ; Maude SCHNEIDER, Auteur ; Marie SCHAER, Auteur Article en page(s) : p.2030-2044 Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : autism spectrum disorders  cluster analysis  deep phenotyping  joint attention  nonverbal communication  phenotype  trajectories Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Abstract Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often face challenges in early social communication skills, prompting the need for a detailed exploration of specific behaviors and their impact on cognitive and adaptive functioning. This study aims to address this gap by examining the developmental trajectories of early social communication skills in preschoolers with ASD aged 18 60 months, comparing them to age-matched typically developing (TD) children. Utilizing the early social communication scales (ESCS), the research employs a longitudinal design to capture changes over time. We apply a principal component analysis (PCA) to ESCS variables to identify underlying components, and cluster analysis to identify subgroups based on preverbal communication profiles. The results reveal consistent differences in early social communication skills between ASD and TD children, with ASD children exhibiting reduced skills. PCA identifies two components, distinguishing objects-directed behaviors and social interaction-directed behaviors. Cluster analysis identifies three subgroups of autistic children, each displaying specific communication profiles associated with distinct cognitive and adaptive functioning trajectories. In conclusion, this study provides a nuanced understanding of early social communication development in ASD, emphasizing the importance of low-level behaviors. The identification of subgroups and their unique trajectories contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of ASD heterogeneity. These findings underscore the significance of early diagnosis, focusing on specific behaviors predicting cognitive and adaptive functioning outcomes. The study encourages further research to explore the sequential development of these skills, offering valuable insights for interventions and support strategies. En ligne : https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.3188 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=536 [article] Phenotyping variability in early socio-communicative skills in young children with autism and its influence on later development [texte imprimé] / Fiona JOURNAL, Auteur ; Martina FRANCHINI, Auteur ; Michel GODEL, Auteur ; Nada KOJOVIC, Auteur ; Kenza LATRÈCHE, Auteur ; Stefania SOLAZZO, Auteur ; Maude SCHNEIDER, Auteur ; Marie SCHAER, Auteur . - p.2030-2044. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Autism Research > 17-10 (October 2024) . - p.2030-2044 Mots-clés : autism spectrum disorders  cluster analysis  deep phenotyping  joint attention  nonverbal communication  phenotype  trajectories Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Abstract Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often face challenges in early social communication skills, prompting the need for a detailed exploration of specific behaviors and their impact on cognitive and adaptive functioning. This study aims to address this gap by examining the developmental trajectories of early social communication skills in preschoolers with ASD aged 18 60 months, comparing them to age-matched typically developing (TD) children. Utilizing the early social communication scales (ESCS), the research employs a longitudinal design to capture changes over time. We apply a principal component analysis (PCA) to ESCS variables to identify underlying components, and cluster analysis to identify subgroups based on preverbal communication profiles. The results reveal consistent differences in early social communication skills between ASD and TD children, with ASD children exhibiting reduced skills. PCA identifies two components, distinguishing objects-directed behaviors and social interaction-directed behaviors. Cluster analysis identifies three subgroups of autistic children, each displaying specific communication profiles associated with distinct cognitive and adaptive functioning trajectories. In conclusion, this study provides a nuanced understanding of early social communication development in ASD, emphasizing the importance of low-level behaviors. The identification of subgroups and their unique trajectories contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of ASD heterogeneity. These findings underscore the significance of early diagnosis, focusing on specific behaviors predicting cognitive and adaptive functioning outcomes. The study encourages further research to explore the sequential development of these skills, offering valuable insights for interventions and support strategies. En ligne : https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.3188 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=536

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