Date of Award

2025

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology

Department

Communicative Disorders

First Advisor

Alisa Baron

Abstract

The Broad Autism Phenotype (BAP) refers to traits that resemble those seen in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The BAP traits are more common in first-degree relatives of individuals with ASD which suggests a potential genetic contribution to the disorder. Understanding how these traits manifest in communication remains limited. Previous research has shown differences in eye gaze patterns between children with ASD and neurotypical children. This study explored whether similar patterns exist in parents of children with autism (pASD) during a phonemic restoration task. The Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS-2) and Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire (BAPQ) were also used in this study to evaluate the presence of ASD-like traits. The performance of pASD on social communication measures can lead to more profound insight into the BAP related to communication.

The study involved 38 adults (both pASD and controls) in the U.S. and included eye-tracking and behavioral assessments. Participants watched a video of a male speaker producing a consistent visual /ba/ sound, while the auditory track alternated between /ba/ and /a/, creating a phonemic restoration effect. Eye gaze was tracked in areas of interest: eyes, nose, mouth/jaw, and face. Participants were also administered the SRS-2 and BAPQ to analyze BAP traits within this population.

Linear mixed-effects models were used to analyze the looking patterns to interest areas of the speaker's face. The results of 38 participants showed no significant differences between the pASD and control groups in eye gaze patterns during the task. Additionally, independent sample t-tests were conducted to compare the scores of the pASD and controls on the SRS-2 and BAPQ. A significant difference was found (p = 0.02823) and pASD received significantly higher scores compared to controls on the restrictive interests and repetitive behaviors subtest of the SRS-2. There were no statistically significant differences when comparing other subtests of the SRS-2 and BAPQ.

While the study found group differences in restrictive interests and repetitive behavior traits based on the SRS-2, there were no significant differences in eye gaze patterns during the phonemic restoration task between pASD and controls. Although no significant group differences were found in eye gaze patterns, the study contributes to a more profound understanding of the BAP.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

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