The development of face processing in autism.
Face-processing gaps in autism may come from scarce early face experience, so flood early sessions with responsive face games.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Sasson (2006) read every paper on how kids with autism look at faces.
The author pulled together brain scans and behavior tests.
The goal was to see if face problems come from birth wiring or from too little face practice.
What they found
The review says face trouble is not just a broken brain.
Kids with autism may get fewer chances to study faces early on.
Less face time leads to weak face skills, not the other way around.
How this fits with other research
Lainé et al. (2011) later showed slow-motion faces boost imitation.
Their result backs the idea that tuned face input can teach social skills.
Koehler et al. (2024) tracked adult chats and found weak face give-and-take still flags autism.
The 2024 data fit the story: early gaps can echo lifelong.
van der Miesen et al. (2024) add that toddlers with spotty eye contact slip past parent screens.
Together the papers say face practice matters at every age.
Why it matters
If poor face exposure drives the deficit, you can fix it.
Pack sessions with lively face-to-face games.
Use slow video if live faces overwhelm.
Track eye contact and reciprocity each visit.
More rich, steady face time may bend the developmental curve.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Both behavioral and neuroimaging evidence indicate that individuals with autism demonstrate marked abnormalities in the processing of faces. These abnormalities are often explained as either the result of an innate impairment to specialized neural systems or as a secondary consequence of reduced levels of social interest. A review of the developmental literature on typical and atypical face processing supports a synthesis of these two hypotheses by demonstrating that face processing is an emergent and developmental skill that is heavily mediated by early experience with faces. Individuals with autism may possess central nervous system irregularities that fail to attribute special status to faces, thereby limiting the visual input required for the development of neural regions specialized for face processing.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2006 · doi:10.1007/s10803-006-0076-3