In a recent study, researchers showed the optical illusion of black and white dots to 50 adults without autism. Rather than asking participants what they saw, scientists tracked their eye movements. If someone focused on each layer separately, their pupils flickered as they adjusted to different light levels.
After the test, participants completed a questionnaire measuring autism-related traits. “The more detail-focused group…also ranked higher for other autism-related traits.” Those who saw two moving sheets—rather than a spinning column—tended to focus more on visual details, which aligned with higher scores for ASD-related characteristics.
Importantly, this wasn’t about diagnosing autism. The goal was to observe how cognitive differences might relate to visual processing. The illusion simply gave researchers a way to explore the mental patterns often seen in autism.
This finding supports the idea that the detail-focused thinking seen in ASD extends to how people see and interpret images. While not a medical tool, it may help guide future research into earlier and more accurate identification of autism traits.
As one researcher noted, “Understanding this characteristic in more detail could provide valuable insight into the underlying mechanisms of ASD.” These insights could eventually lead to better support systems and intervention strategies.
