The CORRECT diagnosis of autism can be difficult, especially in young children.
However, American experts now say that the way you see this optical illusion can help diagnose the condition.
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Experts say how you see this optical illusion can help diagnose autism Credit: Science Alert
If someone can’t quickly spot a white square while focusing on black dots, they probably have mild autism, according to a study.
People with the condition may find that they have to focus directly on the white square to see the illusion.
This is because people with autism process information differently than neurotypical people and tend to focus on one thing rather than the big picture.
Study author Dr Emily Knight, a neuroscientist at the University of Rochester, said: “The way our brains assemble parts of a visual object or scene is important to how we interact with our environment.”
“When we look at an object or image, our brains use processes that take into account our experience and contextual information to help predict sensory information, resolve ambiguity, and fill in missing information.”
Autism is a lifelong, incurable developmental condition that affects the way people perceive the world and interact with others.
It affects up to 100 people in the UK and is three to four times more common in boys than girls, according to the National Autism Society.
New research on autism suggests that the earlier a child is diagnosed and helped, the better their chances to learn and progress.
The latest study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, looked at the brain activity of 60 children aged 7 to 17 with the condition while they processed an optical illusion.
dr. Emily said the results suggest that children with autism “may not be able to predict and fill in missing visual information as well as their peers.”
“We now need to understand how this might be related to the atypical visual sensory behavior we see in some children on the autism spectrum,” he added.
What are the signs and symptoms of autism?
If you or your child are concerned about any of the symptoms, you should talk to your GP.
In young children, the NHS says the key signs are:
- does not respond to his name
- avoiding eye contact
- not smile when you smile at them
- get very upset if they don’t like a certain taste, smell, or sound
- repetitive movements, such as waving your arms, tapping your fingers, or rocking your body
- they don’t talk as much as other kids
- don’t play so much pretend play
- repeating the same phrases
In older children, autism may look like this:
- does not seem to understand what others are thinking or feeling
- unusual speech, such as repeating phrases and speaking “towards” others
- likes a strict daily routine and gets very upset if it changes
- who have a strong interest in certain topics or activities
- they get very upset if you ask them to do something
- have difficulty making friends or prefer to be alone
- take things very literally; for example, they may not understand phrases like “break a leg”
- it’s hard to tell them how you feel.
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: HIS Education