Investigating the Feasibility of EEG in Young Autistic Children

Investigating neural and cognitive processes in young autistic children is a central objective ofdevelopmental neuroscience. Electroencephalography (EEG) offers a valuable method to doso, however, collecting EEG data from this population faces substantial challenges, includingvariable task compliance and sensory sensitivities to the EEG equipment. This study assessedthe feasibility of EEG acquisition in young autistic children using best-practice guidelines andidentified child characteristics predicting successful task completion. Data were drawn fromthe Belgian Language in Autism Study (BeLAS), a multi-site longitudinal cohort of 209 autisticchildren. EEG was attempted across five experimental paradigms, with preparatory strategiessuch as practice caps and visual supports implemented to facilitate engagement. Feasibilityanalyses included binomial logistic regression to identify factors predicting completion of atleast one paradigm and a Cox proportional hazards model to examine predictors of taskattrition across paradigms. Predictors tested included age, IQ, ADOS module, maternaleducation, ADOS calibrated severity score (CSS), and practice cap use. Results showed that87 children (42%) completed at least one paradigm and 63 (30%) completed all five. Logisticregression revealed that higher IQ and the possibility to administer ADOS modules 2 and 3significantly increased the odds of completing at least one paradigm. Cox regression indicatedthat higher IQ and ADOS modules 2 and 3 significantly predicted lower risk of interruption,while other variables were not significant. These findings highlight that, even when best-practice guidelines are followed, children with lower IQ and lower verbal abilities are more likely to have difficulty tolerating the completion of EEG tasks. The study highlights EEG’spotential for investigating cognition in young autistic children when paired with individualizedprotocols.