The strength of holistic face perception in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was evaluated by applying the gaze-contingent mask and window technique to a face matching and discrimination task in 6- to 14-year-old children with (n = 36) and without ASD (n = 47), and by examining fixation patterns. Behavioral results suggested a slower and less efficient face processing in the ASD sample compared with the matched control group. Comparing the moving mask and window conditions revealed a reduced holistic face processing bias in the younger age group but not in the older sample. Preferential viewing patterns revealed both similarities and differences between both participant groups.
© 2017 The Authors. Child Development © 2017 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.