People with autism spectrum disorder have difficulty maintaining eye contact. Less activity in the dorsal parietal cortex could explain this difficulty. The more severe the ASD diagnosis, the less this region of the brain lit up.
Some people who have autism actively avoid eye contact and appear confused and anxious when it occurs. Some seemed to make eye contact relatively early but later reported they were actually looking at something that fascinated them (such as their reflection in one's eyeglasses).
Pause to Encourage Eye Contact
One strategy you might try to get your child to look toward you and possibly to make eye contact is to pause after they ask you for something. For instance, if your child says, “Can I have some juice?” instead of just handing it to him, wait a moment and see if he looks at you.
Toddlers with autism are oblivious to the social information in the eyes, but don't actively avoid meeting another person's gaze, according to a new study.
But between 2 and 6 months, eye-looking behavior began to drop in the children later diagnosed with autism. The decline continued throughout the course of the study. By 24 months, the children with autism focused on the caregiver's eyes only about half as long the children without autism.
Myth 1 – autistic people cannot make eye contact
This is well known but factually inaccurate. Whilst many autistic people struggle to make eye contact, some are able to, so don't assume someone who identifies as being autistic won't be able to meet your gaze.
Autistic people often prefer to view inanimate objects over people interacting. This atypical gaze pattern may help clinicians flag autism before other traits appear. The average age of diagnosis in the United States is 4 years.
Some children with autism smile to show they're happy but don't share their enjoyment. Others show little facial expression or have flat affect and rarely smile so you may not know when they're happy.
Eye contact is an important social-emotional skill that helps us build bonds, learn, feel safe, and communicate. When babies and children avoid direct gaze, it can be a normal response to uncomfortable feelings or situations, but it can also point to other issues.
Of course, autistic individuals laugh when they are happy, or if they find something funny. However, they often laugh to release fear, tension and anxiety. What is very difficult for their parents to comprehend (and accept) is that they might laugh or giggle non-stop when someone is crying.
It's important to note that just because a toddler may exhibit some signs of autism, it does not necessarily mean they have autism. Some toddlers may show delays in communication or socialization due to other factors such as hearing loss, language barriers, or even simply being introverted.
According to Holmleigh Care, toddlers struggle to find any social information from eye contact, so they may avoid it. If they can not learn from it, they go to other methods where they can gather more information.
The findings suggest that despite social communication difficulties associated with ASD, children with ASD demonstrated increased eye contact with their parent.
A child with mild autism can ultimately lead a very “normal”, productive, and independent life. With early intervention, a child with autism can learn the skills needed for successful navigation in communication and social interaction with peers in school.
Signs of High-Functioning Autism in Children
May appear more mature for their age and have above-average intelligence. A tendency to avoid eye contact. Trouble deviating from a routine or adapting to changes. Trouble making friends and maintaining social relationships or not “fitting in” with peers.
A child can avoid eye contact because they: Are fearful of or dislike the person who is attempting to make eye contact. Have a hearing problem and be unaware that they should look at someone. Feel a general sense of social anxiety or shyness.
Eye contact is also a very important non-verbal communication language at any age, not just in young children. So learning how to do it at a young age is beneficial to later years.
Next time you're trying to have an important talk, give your child some space to process what you said. And keep in mind that if they look away it might not mean they're ignoring you, letting their minds wander, or just being rude—in fact, it might mean they're even more focused than usual.
While many children with autism feel averse to hugging, some children with autism like to be hugged. Some children can swing the opposite way and want so many hugs that they feel hug deprived when they aren't getting enough.
TV and Videos Can Open the World to A Child
Many children on the autism spectrum are fascinated by animals, trains, or other aspects of the real world. Selected TV and videos, such as "Animal Planet" and the "Eye Witness" videos can build on those interests.
Your child may know that s/he is different, but like all children at certain developmental stages, they may come to the wrong conclusion about their perceived differences. They may even wonder if they have a terminal illness and are going to die.
Why do many kids with autism . . . Stare into space. Shelley: Some children don't realize they are staring – but may be “tuning out” what is overwhelming them or daydreaming about preferred interests. If the behavior is concerning, parents should consult with their pediatrician.
Some of the frequent facial features of autism are a broader upper face, shorter middle face, wider eyes, bigger mouth, and the philtrum [19]. The use of facial features as a physical marker to detect autism is one of the most exciting topics in autism research.
Eye tracking is particularly useful for autism for two main reasons. First, what an individual chooses to pay attention to is believed to be fundamentally different for individuals who have autism compared with typical controls — especially for socially relevant information and face processing.