The study by Klin et al. investigates the ability of two-year-olds with autism to orient towards biological motion, which is a fundamental skill present in typically developing infants from birth. The researchers used point-light animations of human movements and audio tracks to measure children's visual attention. They found that two-year-olds with autism did not show preferential attention to biological motion, unlike typically developing children. Instead, their viewing behavior was influenced by non-social, physical contingencies, such as audiovisual synchrony, which is the alignment of visual and auditory cues. This suggests that children with autism may have altered neural processing and social interaction skills from an early age, potentially leading to lifelong impairments in social communication. The findings highlight the importance of understanding the early developmental trajectory of autism and the role of specific sensory and social cues in shaping neural specialization.The study by Klin et al. investigates the ability of two-year-olds with autism to orient towards biological motion, which is a fundamental skill present in typically developing infants from birth. The researchers used point-light animations of human movements and audio tracks to measure children's visual attention. They found that two-year-olds with autism did not show preferential attention to biological motion, unlike typically developing children. Instead, their viewing behavior was influenced by non-social, physical contingencies, such as audiovisual synchrony, which is the alignment of visual and auditory cues. This suggests that children with autism may have altered neural processing and social interaction skills from an early age, potentially leading to lifelong impairments in social communication. The findings highlight the importance of understanding the early developmental trajectory of autism and the role of specific sensory and social cues in shaping neural specialization.