Bridging the Gap: Enhancing Gaze-Performance Link in Children with ASD through Dual-Level Visual Guidance in MR-DMT

TL;DR

This paper addresses action imitation deficits in children with ASD rooted in visuomotor integration (VMI) within mixed reality dance Movement therapy (MR-DMT). It first demonstrates a weak gaze_performance link in baseline MR_DMT, where longer gaze on task_relevant areas does not translate to better motor imitation. It then introduces a dual_level visual guidance system—combining perceptual salience modulation (where to look) and kinetic/metaphor_based transformational cues (how to move)—and shows this approach strengthens the gaze_performance link and modestly improves motor outcomes. The results offer design principles for MR_DMT interventions, suggesting that integrating attention direction with motor_translation scaffolding can meaningfully enhance imitation learning in ASD, with practical implications for scalable, clinically relevant therapies.

Abstract

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is marked by action imitation deficits stemming from visuomotor integration impairments, posing challenges to imitation-based learning, such as dance movement therapy in mixed reality (MR-DMT). Previous gaze-guiding interventions in ASD have mainly focused on optimizing gaze in isolation, neglecting the crucial "gaze-performance link". This study investigates enhancing this link in MR-DMT for children with ASD. Initially, we experimentally confirmed the weak link: longer gaze durations didn't translate to better performance. Then, we proposed and validated a novel dual-level visual guidance system that operates on both perceptual and transformational levels: not only directing attention to task-relevant areas but also explicitly scaffolding the translation from gaze perception to performance execution. Our results demonstrate its effectiveness in boosting the gaze-performance link, laying key foundations for more precisely tailored and effective MR-DMT interventions for ASD.

Figures (8)

• Figure 1: The baseline MR-DMT system in the CAVE environment.
• Figure 2: The experimental procedure of study 1.
• Figure 3: Scatter plot of total gaze duration on task-relevant areas and motor imitation performance scores in the baseline condition of Study 1.
• Figure 4: Visual comparison of the perceptual guidance manipulation. (a) Perceptual Guidance absent: All elements in the environment retain their original visual properties without modulation. (b) Perceptual Guidance present: The saturation and brightness of task-irrelevant background regions are reduced, creating a spotlight effect that highlights the virtual agent and instructional aids.
• Figure 5: Examples of transformational guidance through kinetic metaphors. (a) A school of fish animates along the trajectory of the virtual agent's arm movement to provide a predictive cue. (b) Dynamic glow effects are applied to emphasize the goal of a complex dance motion.