Pronounced Lateral Glances in Children with ASDs and Parents Perception of Social Abilities in Daily Life

Background:  Due to the growing interest in lateral glances as possible distinctive signs of ASDs (Mottron et al., 2007), in a previous study (Doneddu, Foscoliano, Frigo, Peruzzi, Casano, Congiu & Fadda, 2011) we explored the relationship between the frequency of lateral glances (LG), defined as the tendency of some individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) to look at the objects out of the corner of the eyes (Filipek et al.,1999), with symptoms severity and cognitive abilities. The results showed that LG were an index of symptoms severity, since children with ASDs with higher frequencies of LG were higher in ADOS total scores. However, to what extent pronounced LG really marks a specific autistic phenotype was not addressed, since all the children considered in the previous study were selected because they showed LG to some extent.

Objectives:  The aim of this study was to extend our previous findings, comparing the characteristics of children with ASD who show  LG to a group of children with ASD who don’t show LG. In particular, we explored the severity of impairments in social and play abilities, the presence of stereotyped behaviour, the level of adaptive and cognitive functioning.

Methods:  We compared three groups of children with ASD’s: one group of 10 (9 males, aged between 29 and 58 months, mean chronological age=43; sd=7.688) characterized by high frequency lateral glances (HLG), a second group of 11 (9 males, aged between 41 and 67 months, mean chronological age=48; sd=8.522) characterized by low frequency lateral glances (LLG) and a third group of 17 (14 males, aged between 24 and 64 months, mean chronological age=41; sd=11.252) with no lateral glances (noLG). All children were videotaped during twenty minutes of free play. The lateral glances (LG), defined as lateral movements of the eyes pupils in the corner of the eyes, were quantified  by means of a coding system specifically constructed by the authors. Than we compared the three groups for symptoms severity, assessed with the ADOS, non-verbal IQ, measured with the Leiter-R scale or Bayley Scales III,  and adaptive behaviours measured with Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, between the two groups.

Results:  The results showed significantly lower scores in adaptive behaviours as measured by Vineland Total Scale (F 2;31 = 3.904; p=0.031) and in Vineland Socialization (F 2;31 = 5.618; p=0.008) and in ADOS play (F 2;34 =3,631; p=0,038), but not in the other dimensions. These results indicated that children with HLG are perceived by their parents as less social in everyday life and less competence in adaptive behaviours.

Conclusions: As in our previous study (Doneddu et al., 2011), an high frequence of lateral glances seems not to be neither a sign of mental retardation nor a cue of stereotypic behavior classically coded in ASDs. However, parents find these children less competent both in social and in adaptive abilities in daily life. More studies are necessary to develop practical tools that might incorporate lateral glances in screening protocols to be used by paediatricians and parents.