Eye-Tracking Study Visits
Watching How Your Child Sees the World
Welcome to the Eye-Tracking Lab!
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We’re thrilled to have you explore our lab, where we study how infants and young children interact with the world around them. Social engagement with caregivers is a key part of early development, influencing speech, language, and social skills. In our lab, we use eye-tracking technology to carefully monitor how children focus on faces, objects, and interactions in their everyday environment. By understanding these early social patterns, we aim to gain insights into how early experiences might predict future developmental outcomes, including language skills and social behavior. Your participation is a vital part of this important research, and we’re excited to work with you in advancing our understanding of early childhood development.
About Our
Eye Tracking Lab
We’ve all heard that the eyes are the windows to the soul—well, in our Eye-Tracking Lab, they’re also the key to understanding early social and communication development!
As part of the NURTURE study, we use cutting-edge eye-tracking technology to study how infants engage with their world. By observing how babies respond to social stimuli, we’re uncovering early signs of autism and learning how to better support families from the start.
During the eye tracking visits, we'll focus on how your baby learns about the world around them through what they see. Babies are constantly learning from their environment, and one important way they do this is by paying attention to things visually. Eye tracking allows us to measure how your baby looks at different objects or images and how long they focus on them.
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This is especially useful for babies and children of all ages. We're not testing anything in the traditional sense—instead observing and recording how your baby engages with the world around them. The visit will involve a special camera that tracks their eye movements as they look at various images or videos, and we’ll make sure your baby is comfortable throughout the process. The information we collect helps us understand how babies develop and learn through visual attention, which is crucial for understanding their cognitive development.
Visit Location
Research visits for eye-tracking will take place at Marcus Autism Center located at:
When you and your family arrive, you can stop by the front desk in the lobby to let the team know you are here for a study visit. Once checked in, you will be directed to the second floor, where you should check in with the desk. Then a member of the eye tracking research team will come to greet you!
Parking for Study Visits
Free parking is available to you and your family on your immediate right after passing the official "Marcus Autism Center" sign from Briarcliff Rd. Spaces for expecting parents or designated handicapped spots will be available closest to the building entrance.
What to Expect at Eye- Tracking Visits
View of baby bassinette and eye tracking computers
After Arriving on the Second Floor
After checking in at the second-floor desk, a member of our team will come to the waiting room to greet you and bring you back to the Eye-Tracking lab. Our Eye-Tracking fellow will be waiting in the lab to welcome you and walk you through the equipment in the room.
Setting your baby up for the session
Whenever you are comfortable and ready, you will be asked to place your infant in our cozy bassinette - covered with a small green blanket that acts as a "green screen" behind your baby's head! You are welcome to sit directly beside your baby while they watch videos, or you are welcome to sit back so you can see your baby's face on our screens. No equipment will be placed on your baby's face or head. Babies are also welcome to use a pacifier, hold a toy, or be touched by a caregiver while they are in the bassinette. Our top priority is a happy and comfortable baby!
The Video Playlist
Our Eye Tracking fellows will begin the session by adjusting the camera so that it is focused on your baby's pupil. This enables our team to track where your baby is looking on the screen. We will then begin our video playlist. We have a variety of videos we show - from clips of Frozen and Barney to scenes of children playing together. These playlists may change as your child grows.
Live Caregiver-Infant Interaction
Sometime during the session, our Eye-Tracking fellows will ask if you would like to enter our soundproof caregiver booth to complete a "live caregiver-infant interaction" with your baby. This interaction usually lasts between 3-5 minutes. You must sign a consent form to complete this interaction. Our team is happy to have you sign a consent form during the visit, if you have not completed the consent prior.
Inside the booth, you will see instructions on the screen for completing the interaction. You will be asked to interact with your baby how you usually do at home - except this time you will be interacting through a screen. Think of it as a short Facetime call with your baby!
All Done!
Our Eye-Trackers will let you know when your baby has completed all of the video clips. Eye-Tracking visits usually run for about 30 minutes, but can take longer or shorter depending on each child. We are always happy to end a session early if a baby is feeling fussy or needs to be fed, and we are always happy to keep the playlist running a bit longer if a child is really enjoying watching the clips.
Frequently Asked Questions