Long Branch, New Jersey - December 12, 2011
Doctors have long struggled to understand the minds of autistic children. Now researchers are looking into their eyes for answers.
Mike and Laura Ciavolino's seven year old triplets keep them on the go. Two of them, Michael and Francesco, have autism. Like most kids with the disorder, both have trouble identifying emotions in
others. They are more likely to focus on objects.
"There's a difference in the way they focus compared to my son who doesn't have autism and there's a difference in what they're focused on and what they are interested in," Laura Ciavolino said.
Now scientists believe the blink of an eye may help explain why. "The less a child blinks, the more they are paying attention to what is happening," said Warren Jones, a researcher at Emory University's Marcus Autism Center.
In a new study researchers tracked the blink rate of children watching a video of kids playing. During emotional scenes, the rate for typical children slowed down, while autistic patients blinked normally.That changed when autistic kids spotted movement.
"They stopped blinking when they were looking at objects and when they were
looking at objects in motion," Jones said.
Researchers say this new insight into how the autistic mind works could help develop improved therapies. "What this research gives us is a new tool for essentially understanding what might be capturing the attention of children with autism," Jones said.
Knowing what interests autistic children could eventually help doctors identify and treat those with the disorder earlier. "Children who receive early intervention for symptoms in autism are reported
to have the greatest gains in function," said Alycia Halladay with the group Autism Speaks.
The new study gives the Ciavolinos a better understanding of how Michael and
Francesco see the world.
Randall Pinkston - CBS News
