Non-verbal social cues following in ADHD: development of a new clinical tool
Résumé
From the first year of life, humans automatically follow other’s gaze and pointing gestures towards the indicated space. This ability to follow non-verbal social cues is a robust social-cognitive phenomenon that is known to be a strong predictor of theory of mind and language. Given its importance in human cognition, researchers have started to assess this ability in neurodevelopmental pathologies such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). These studies suggest that some children with ADHD have difficulties in following non verbal social cues, that could be linked to their relational difficulties in daily life. Our aim was to develop a computerised tool that would allow neuropsychologists to identify children with ADHD who do not follow non-verbal social cues, in order to refine their cognitive remediation therapy. For this purpose, we calibrated the tool in 339 children without disorders aged from 6 to 10 years old. The normative data was calculated taking into account age and gender. Overall, we showed that the tool is sensitive to the assessment of non-verbal social cues following. This tool is currently being tested on children with ADHD, in order to verify its clinical validity. The clinical implications of this work will be discussed.