Social Visual Engagement in Preterm and Term Children With Autism: Consistent Eye-tracking Patterns Irrespective of Gestational Age

Early symptoms of autism present similarly in preterm and term-born toddlers when evaluated using objective eye-tracking metrics of social visual engagement. Alterations in social engagement associated with autism seem independent of broader developmental concerns related to prematurity and therefore are a useful aid in the early identification of ASD-specific concerns in preterm toddlers for whom differential diagnosis based on behavior alone may be particularly challenging.