Joint Attention (JA), a crucial social skill for developing shared focus, is often impaired in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), affecting social communication and highlighting the need for early intervention. Addressing gaps in prior research, such as limited use of immersive technology and reliance on distracting peripherals, we developed a novel JA training platform using Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) devices. The platform integrates eye gaze-based interactions to ensure participants undivided attention. To validate the platform, we conducted experiments on ASD (N=19) and Neurotypical (NT) (N=13) participants under a trained pediatric neurologist's supervision. For quantitative analysis, we employed key measures such as the number of correct responses, the duration of establishing eye contact (s), and the duration of registering a response (s), along with correlations to CARS scores and age. Results from AR-based experiments showed NT participants registered responses significantly faster (<0.00001) than ASD participants. A correlation (Spearman coefficient=0.57, p=0.03) was found between ASD participants response time and CARS scores. A similar trend was observed in VR-based experiments. When comparing response accuracy in ASD participants across platforms, AR yielded a higher correctness rate (92.30%) than VR (69.49%), indicating AR's greater effectiveness. These findings suggest that immersive technology can aid JA training in ASD. Future studies should explore long-term benefits and real-world applicability.

翻译：联合注意（JA）作为发展共享关注的关键社交技能，在自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）儿童中常存在缺陷，影响社交沟通并凸显早期干预的必要性。针对先前研究中存在的局限，如沉浸式技术应用不足及对分散注意的外围设备依赖，我们利用增强现实（AR）和虚拟现实（VR）设备开发了一种新型JA训练平台。该平台整合基于眼动注视的交互机制，确保参与者的专注力。为验证平台效果，我们在儿科神经科医师监督下对ASD（N=19）与神经典型发育（NT）（N=13）参与者进行了实验。量化分析采用关键指标，包括正确响应次数、建立眼神接触时长（秒）及响应注册时长（秒），并与CARS评分及年龄进行相关性分析。基于AR的实验结果显示，NT参与者的响应注册速度显著快于ASD参与者（p<0.00001）。ASD参与者的响应时间与CARS评分存在相关性（斯皮尔曼系数=0.57，p=0.03）。VR实验中也观察到类似趋势。对比ASD参与者在不同平台上的响应准确率，AR的正确率（92.30%）高于VR（69.49%），表明AR具有更高有效性。这些发现提示沉浸式技术可辅助ASD的JA训练。未来研究应探索其长期效益与现实场景适用性。