Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) involves a range of cognitive and behavioral differences, including challenges in spatial reasoning, motor coordination, and pattern recognition. Tasks involving structured visual layouts, object arrangement, and temporal tracking offer valuable insight into how children with ASD perceive and respond to patterns in their environment. Virtual game-based tasks provide a promising and engaging framework to assess these abilities, though their feasibility and effectiveness require further study. This work investigates whether children with ASD can meaningfully engage in digital tasks involving spatial pattern organization and visual tracking, comparing their performance to neurotypical (NT) peers. Participants completed three tasks: (1) a physical block puzzle assessing baseline spatial cognition, (2) a virtual version of the puzzle evaluating interaction with a digital modality, and (3) a mouse-based visual tracking task administered in two blocks separated by a rest period. ASD children completed \(53.33 \pm 8.16\%\) of the physical puzzle in \(12.50 \pm 1.05\) min and \(48.33 \pm 11.69\%\) of the virtual puzzle in \(12.17 \pm 1.17\) min. In the tracking task, accuracy was \(20.00 \pm 4.47\%\) in Block 1 and improved to \(23.33 \pm 2.58\%\) in Block 2 following a rest period of \(8.17 \pm 0.75\) min. These tasks incorporated structured spatial cues and dynamic visual elements that implicitly engaged core pattern recognition abilities. Although NT participants performed better across all tasks, children with ASD demonstrated sustained attention, multiple attempts, and the ability to re-engage after rest. They interacted effectively with both physical and digital formats, showing meaningful engagement. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of using structured, computer-based tasks to assess cognitive abilities in children with ASD and support the broader potential of digital technologies for assessment and intervention in ASD.

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Assessing Digital Intervention for Studying Cognitive Abilities in Autism: A Pilot Study on Feasibility and Engagement

  • Chayan Majumder,
  • Amit Bhongade,
  • Ashirbad Samantaray,
  • Sheffali Gulati,
  • Tapan Kumar Gandhi

摘要

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) involves a range of cognitive and behavioral differences, including challenges in spatial reasoning, motor coordination, and pattern recognition. Tasks involving structured visual layouts, object arrangement, and temporal tracking offer valuable insight into how children with ASD perceive and respond to patterns in their environment. Virtual game-based tasks provide a promising and engaging framework to assess these abilities, though their feasibility and effectiveness require further study. This work investigates whether children with ASD can meaningfully engage in digital tasks involving spatial pattern organization and visual tracking, comparing their performance to neurotypical (NT) peers. Participants completed three tasks: (1) a physical block puzzle assessing baseline spatial cognition, (2) a virtual version of the puzzle evaluating interaction with a digital modality, and (3) a mouse-based visual tracking task administered in two blocks separated by a rest period. ASD children completed \(53.33 \pm 8.16\%\) of the physical puzzle in \(12.50 \pm 1.05\) min and \(48.33 \pm 11.69\%\) of the virtual puzzle in \(12.17 \pm 1.17\) min. In the tracking task, accuracy was \(20.00 \pm 4.47\%\) in Block 1 and improved to \(23.33 \pm 2.58\%\) in Block 2 following a rest period of \(8.17 \pm 0.75\) min. These tasks incorporated structured spatial cues and dynamic visual elements that implicitly engaged core pattern recognition abilities. Although NT participants performed better across all tasks, children with ASD demonstrated sustained attention, multiple attempts, and the ability to re-engage after rest. They interacted effectively with both physical and digital formats, showing meaningful engagement. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of using structured, computer-based tasks to assess cognitive abilities in children with ASD and support the broader potential of digital technologies for assessment and intervention in ASD.