Brief report: driving hazard perception in autism.

Berry-Kravis et al. (2010) showed driving videos to two groups of adults. One group had autism spectrum disorder. The other group did not.

The videos contained social hazards like a child stepping into the street. They also had non-social hazards like a falling tree. The team measured how fast and how often each adult pressed a button when they spotted danger.

Adults with ASD pressed the button later and missed more social hazards. They saw the child or the waving pedestrian less often.

Both groups spotted non-social hazards at the same rate. The trouble was only with people-related danger.

Benson et al. (2016) saw the same slow social spotting in a different task. Their adults with ASD also needed more looks to notice something odd in a photo. This backs up the driving result.

Two papers seem to disagree but do not. Fletcher-Watson et al. (2008) found young ASD adults tracked eye-gaze shifts just fine. The difference is age and cue size. Eye-gaze is tiny and central; a waving pedestrian is large and off to the side.

Santos et al. (2012) adds another twist. Their ASD teens actually beat typical teens at general change detection. Age matters. Teens may scan more, while adults with ASD settle into narrower focus.

If you teach driving or street safety to adults with ASD, add extra drills that force them to scan for people. Point out feet stepping off the curb, strollers, and bikes. Use video practice and require a verbal response. Do not assume they will pick up these cues on their own.