Parent-Child Interaction as an Effective Tool for Identifying Autism Spectrum Disorder: Evidence from EEG Analysis

Abstract

Abstract Background Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that affects individuals across their lifespan. Early diagnosis and intervention are crucial for improving outcomes. However, current diagnostic methods are often time-consuming, subjective, and costly, making them inaccessible to many families. In this study, we aimed to investigate the use of parent-child interaction as a potential screening tool for identifying children with ASD. Methods We recruited 85 preschool ASD children with development delay (DD), ASD children without DD and typically developing (TD) children, along with their caregivers, to engage in parent-child interaction while simultaneously recording EEG and video signals. Results We found that the behavioral indicators of both ASD groups were worse than TD group and correlated with the severity of the symptoms of ASD. Both theta and alpha band PSD values increased in both ASD groups compared to TD children, primarily correlated with social behavior rather than IQ level. Conclusion Our results verified the behavioral paradigm of parent-child interaction as an efficient method for identifying children with ASD, further validated by the PSD of alpha and theta bands.