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Sensory hypersensitivity predicts enhanced attention capture by faces in the early development of ASD.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Jones, EJH; Dawson, G; Webb, SJ
Published in: Dev Cogn Neurosci
January 2018

Sensory sensitivity is prevalent among young children with ASD, but its relation to social communication impairment is unclear. Recently, increased sensory hypersensitivity has been linked to greater activity of the neural salience network (Green et al., 2016). Increased neural sensitivity to stimuli, especially social stimuli, could provide greater opportunity for social learning and improved outcomes. Consistent with this framework, in Experiment 1 we found that parent report of greater sensory hypersensitivity at 2 years in toddlers with ASD (N=27) was predictive of increased neural responsiveness to social stimuli (larger amplitude event-related potential/ERP responses to faces at P1, P400 and Nc) at 4 years, and this in turn was related to parent report of increased social approach at 4 years. In Experiment 2, parent report of increased perceptual sensitivity at 6 months in infants at low and high familial risk for ASD (N=35) predicted larger ERP P1 amplitude to faces at 18 months. Increased sensory hypersensitivity in early development thus predicted greater attention capture by faces in later development, and this related to more optimal social behavioral development. Sensory hypersensitivity may index a child's ability to benefit from supportive environments during development. Early sensory symptoms may not always be developmentally problematic for individuals with ASD.

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Published In

Dev Cogn Neurosci

DOI

EISSN

1878-9307

Publication Date

January 2018

Volume

29

Start / End Page

11 / 20

Location

Netherlands

Related Subject Headings

  • Social Behavior
  • Risk
  • Male
  • Infant
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Facial Recognition
  • Face
  • Evoked Potentials
  • Child, Preschool
 

Citation

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Jones, E. J. H., Dawson, G., & Webb, S. J. (2018). Sensory hypersensitivity predicts enhanced attention capture by faces in the early development of ASD. Dev Cogn Neurosci, 29, 11–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2017.04.001
Jones, E. J. H., G. Dawson, and S. J. Webb. “Sensory hypersensitivity predicts enhanced attention capture by faces in the early development of ASD.Dev Cogn Neurosci 29 (January 2018): 11–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2017.04.001.
Jones EJH, Dawson G, Webb SJ. Sensory hypersensitivity predicts enhanced attention capture by faces in the early development of ASD. Dev Cogn Neurosci. 2018 Jan;29:11–20.
Jones, E. J. H., et al. “Sensory hypersensitivity predicts enhanced attention capture by faces in the early development of ASD.Dev Cogn Neurosci, vol. 29, Jan. 2018, pp. 11–20. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.dcn.2017.04.001.
Jones EJH, Dawson G, Webb SJ. Sensory hypersensitivity predicts enhanced attention capture by faces in the early development of ASD. Dev Cogn Neurosci. 2018 Jan;29:11–20.

Published In

Dev Cogn Neurosci

DOI

EISSN

1878-9307

Publication Date

January 2018

Volume

29

Start / End Page

11 / 20

Location

Netherlands

Related Subject Headings

  • Social Behavior
  • Risk
  • Male
  • Infant
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Facial Recognition
  • Face
  • Evoked Potentials
  • Child, Preschool