Introduction: Attention orienting is a cognitive process that facilitates the movement of attention focus from one location to another: this may be impaired in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and other developmental delays. Dorsal and ventral attention networks comprise the process of attention orienting. In this study, we aimed to evaluate whether children with ASD and other developmental delays have a specific visual processing deficit.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of pediatric patients with ASD and other developmental delays who had Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) and cognitive visual assessment questionnaire performed at Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital from January 2017 to March 2018.

Results: A total of 45 pediatric patients (32 males, 13 females) were identified. The mean age at M-CHAT performed was 29.7 months (range, 17 - 48). They were diagnosed as ASD (n = 13), global developmental delay (n = 13), and language delay (n = 19), respectively. Children were divided into 2 groups by M-CHAT results as follows; 1) Patients who screened positive on the M-CHAT (n = 38); 2) Patients who screened negative on the M-CHAT (n = 7). Children who screened positive on the M-CHAT show a particular deficit on tasks that require processing predominantly attributed to the dorsal stream (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: ASD have common features with other developmental disorders, reflecting a greater vulnerability of the dorsal stream. On this aspect, cognitive visual assessment may serve as an alternative screening tool for children with ASD and other developmental delays.