Hyper-focus, sticky attention, and springy attention in young autistic children: Associations with sensory behaviors and cognitive ability.

ABSTRACT: The autistic-developed monotropism account suggests that atypical, domain-general attentional hyper-focus on interests is a central aspect of autism, but domain-general attention differences in autism can manifest differently. Prior research suggests autistic children are often slow to disengage attention from stimuli-a pattern often called "sticky attention"-and that they can show reduced novelty preference. These attentional patterns could influence sensory experiences and learning. We used eye-tracking to investigate novelty preference and "sticky attention" in young autistic children; we also examined whether attentional patterns were related to cognitive abilities and caregiver-reported sensory responsiveness. A total of 46 autistic and 28 nonautistic participants, aged between 2 and

SUBMITTER: Dwyer P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11341259 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature