Investigating Foreign Language Vocabulary Recognition in Children with ADHD and Autism with the Use of Eye Tracking Technology

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Dades bibliogràfiques
Publicat a:	Brain Sciences vol. 15, no. 8 (2025), p. 876-890
Autor principal:	Andreou Georgia
Altres autors:	Argatzopoulou Ariadni
Publicat:	MDPI AG
Matèries:	Second language vocabulary learning Visual perception Neurodiversity Eye Language acquisition Phonology Lexical processing Autism Language Pattern recognition English as a second language learning English as a second language Marking and tracking techniques Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder Semantics Eye movements Children Thresholds Word recognition Native language acquisition Information processing Language processing Learning transfer Susceptibility Eye fixation Visual attention Distraction Foreign languages Tracking Data processing Autistic children English language Cues Acknowledgment Vocabulary Eye tracking
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Descripció
Resum:	Background: Neurodivergent students, including those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), frequently encounter challenges in several areas of foreign language (FL) learning, including vocabulary acquisition. This exploratory study aimed to investigate real-time English as a Foreign Language (EFL) word recognition using eye tracking within the Visual World Paradigm (VWP). Specifically, it examined whether gaze patterns could serve as indicators of successful word recognition, how these patterns varied across three distractor types (semantic, phonological, unrelated), and whether age and vocabulary knowledge influenced visual attention during word processing. Methods: Eye-tracking data were collected from 17 children aged 6–10 years with ADHD or ASD while they completed EFL word recognition tasks. Analyses focused on gaze metrics across target and distractor images to identify percentile-based thresholds as potential data-driven markers of recognition. Group differences (ADHD vs. ASD) and the roles of age and vocabulary knowledge were also examined. Results: Children with ADHD exhibited increased fixations on phonological distractors, indicating higher susceptibility to interference, whereas children with ASD demonstrated more distributed attention, often attracted by semantic cues. Older participants and those with higher vocabulary scores showed more efficient gaze behavior, characterized by increased fixations on target images, greater attention to relevant stimuli, and reduced attention to distractors. Conclusions: Percentile-based thresholds in gaze metrics may provide useful markers of word recognition in neurodivergent learners. Findings underscore the importance of differentiated instructional strategies in EFL education for children with ADHD and ASD. The study further supports the integration of eye tracking with behavioral assessments to advance understanding of language processing in atypical developmental contexts.
ISSN:	2076-3425
DOI:	10.3390/brainsci15080876
Font:	Biological Science Database