caa a22 4500 605476373 CHVBK 20210128100356.0 cr unu---uuuuu 210128e20150101xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s00787-014-0528-9 doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s00787-014-0528-9 Interest towards human, animal and object in children with autism spectrum disorders: an ethological approach at home [Elektronische Daten] [Marine Grandgeorge, Yannig Bourreau, Zarrin Alavi, Eric Lemonnier, Sylvie Tordjman, Michel Deleau, Martine Hausberger] Autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) are characterised by attention deficits in communication and social interactions and a lack of interest in people. Data are mostly based on clinical situations. However, recent studies have shown a more mixed situation where children with ASD (ASD children) displayed interest towards humans, in both experimental and natural settings. The aim of this study was to assess the interest of ASD children in a natural standardised home setting. Here, we hypothesised that ASD children would display more interest towards animate stimuli—human and pet—when in the child's home than in the lab experimental setting. We used an ethological approach involving observations, a methodological alternative to lab static techniques, to investigate the behaviour of ninety 6- to 12-year-old ASD and typical development (TD) children. Our results were consistent with those of the literature revealing that the ASD children displayed interest towards animate stimuli as did children with TD children. Interestingly, while the ASD children showed higher interest towards humans, e.g. their parent, than the TD children did, they showed less interest towards pet compared to the TD children. Our results suggested that animals are not inherently easy to decode for ASD children, in contrast with previous experiences where a pet was regarded as a more attractive partner, easier to be understood. At last, the ASD children changed more frequently their focus point than the TD children did. These differences may be explained by the reduced attention skills in ASD or the study's context. To conclude, larger exploratory studies in natural settings conducted beyond ordinary human to human interactions are crucial for better understanding of the underlying mechanisms involved in social interactions in ASD. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, 2014 Autism spectrum disorders nationallicence Ethology nationallicence Child-pet relationship nationallicence Attention nationallicence Social interaction nationallicence Grandgeorge Marine Laboratory of Neurosciences de Brest, EA 4685, University of Bretagne Occidentale, Brest, France aut Bourreau Yannig Université de Rennes 1, Ethos, UMR 6552, Ethologie animale et humaine, Rennes, France aut Alavi Zarrin INSERM, CIC 0502, CHRU de Brest, Brest, France aut Lemonnier Eric Laboratory of Neurosciences de Brest, EA 4685, University of Bretagne Occidentale, Brest, France aut Tordjman Sylvie Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, CHU Guillaume Régnier, Rennes, France aut Deleau Michel Université Rennes 2, CRPCC, EA 1285, Centre de recherches en psychologie, cognition et communication, Rennes, France aut Hausberger Martine Université de Rennes 1, Ethos, UMR 6552, Ethologie animale et humaine, Rennes, France aut European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Springer Berlin Heidelberg 24/1(2015-01-01), 83-93 1018-8827 24:1<83 2015 24 787 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-014-0528-9 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-014-0528-9 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Grandgeorge Marine Laboratory of Neurosciences de Brest, EA 4685, University of Bretagne Occidentale, Brest, France aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Bourreau Yannig Université de Rennes 1, Ethos, UMR 6552, Ethologie animale et humaine, Rennes, France aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Alavi Zarrin INSERM, CIC 0502, CHRU de Brest, Brest, France aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Lemonnier Eric Laboratory of Neurosciences de Brest, EA 4685, University of Bretagne Occidentale, Brest, France aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Tordjman Sylvie Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, CHU Guillaume Régnier, Rennes, France aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Deleau Michel Université Rennes 2, CRPCC, EA 1285, Centre de recherches en psychologie, cognition et communication, Rennes, France aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Hausberger Martine Université de Rennes 1, Ethos, UMR 6552, Ethologie animale et humaine, Rennes, France aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Springer Berlin Heidelberg 24/1(2015-01-01), 83-93 1018-8827 24:1<83 2015 24 787