Final answer:
Children with autism have difficulty with gaze cueing due to impaired social skills and difficulty reading social cues.
Step-by-step explanation:
Children with autism have difficulty with gaze cueing due to impaired social skills and difficulty reading social cues. One of the characteristic symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is impaired social skills, which can manifest as difficulty making and maintaining eye contact. Children with autism may also have trouble understanding and interpreting nonverbal cues, including gaze cues.
For example, typically developing individuals use gaze cues to determine where another person is directing their attention. They intuitively follow the gaze of others to understand what they are looking at or interested in. However, children with autism may struggle to understand or respond appropriately to gaze cues, leading to difficulties in social interactions and communication.
To illustrate, imagine a scenario where a teacher is pointing at an object while making eye contact. Typically developing children would follow the teacher's gaze and understand that the object being pointed at is the focus of attention. However, a child with autism may find it challenging to interpret the teacher's gaze and may not comprehend that the object is the target of attention.