Deficits in interpersonal communication along with difficulty in putting oneself into the shoes of others characterizes individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Additionally, they exhibit atypical looking pattern causing them to miss aspects related to understanding other's preference for a context that is crucial for effective social communication. Prior research studies show the use of multiplayer platforms can improve interaction among these individuals. However, these multiplayer platforms do not demand players to understand each other's preference, important for effective social interaction. In this work, we have developed a multiplayer interaction platform using virtual reality augmented with eye-tracking technology. Thirty-six participants comprising of individuals with ASD (n = 18; Group
ASD) and typically developing (TD) individuals (n = 18; Group
TD) interacted in pairs within each participant group using our platform. Results indicate that both Group
ASD and Group
TD showed improvement in performance across the tasks with the Group
TD performing better than the Group
ASD. Additionally, the eye-gaze data indicated an underlying relationship between one's looking pattern and task performance that was differentiated between the Group
ASD and Group
TD. The current results indicate a potential of our multiplayer interaction platform to serve as a complementary tool in the hands of the interventionist promoting social reciprocity and interaction among individuals with ASD.
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