Response to Distress Varies by Social Impairment and Familiarity in Infants at Risk for Autism.

Researchers watched how babies react when an adult shows distress. They tested two groups: infants with early signs of social delay and typically developing peers. Each baby saw both a parent and a stranger act upset at 12 months and again at 15 months. Eye-tracking cameras measured where babies looked and how long they stayed focused. Coders also rated the babies’ facial expressions and vocal sounds for signs of concern.

By 15 months, babies with more social-impairment paid less attention to the distressed adult and showed flatter emotions. At 12 months, the same babies looked longer at the unfamiliar adult but smiled or cooed more toward the familiar parent. Familiarity shaped the response: stranger distress drew looks, parent distress drew warmth.

Cornew et al. (2012) saw slower help-seeking from high-risk 18-month-olds during social referencing. Their task used novel toys, not distress, so the delay fits with C et al.’s reduced attention.

Thomas et al. (2021) found less smiling and imitation in 6–12-month siblings during screen-based face games. The drop in positive affect matches C et al.’s lower warmth, even though the setup was digital, not live.

Palomo et al. (2022) reported normal face-looking but poor name response in home movies. This seems to clash with C et al.’s reduced attention to distress. The difference is context: home movies catch everyday glances, while the lab task demands sustained focus on an upset adult. Both point to joint-attention gaps, not simple looking deficits.

You can spot risk earlier by watching how babies react to real-life upset. Note whether the child tunes in to the distressed person and offers any comfort sounds. If attention is brief and affect flat at 15 months, flag for further screening. When you run parent-child sessions, remember that familiarity boosts emotional response—use caregivers to elicit warmer engagement during early interventions.