Eye contact

If my 4yr old girl gives some eye contact does this mean she ia not autistic? She looks at her close family and people she knows well but not others she looks away or hides her face if someone looks at her .

  • Thank you for your reply it really helps hearing from other peoples experiences . I feel quite mixed feelings but deep down i knew she was different from a baby. She was born a little early was very small could not suckle so feeding was very difficult then she had bronchitis stopped breathing and was on life support for a week she was 3mths old after that she seemed quite layed back didnt attempt to reach out or be curious about things around her. She was late crawling walking and talking she also has hypermobility. 

  • I'd agree with Tom, certainly sounds quite likely. I have Aspergers and no real problem with eye contact (well, ok, I get uncomfortable if it goes on for too long with someone I don't know well). A lot of what you're saying about your daughter resonates with me though. I flatly refused to play with other children at nursery school apparently, and I do remember if anyone said "don't you want to play on the swings" the answer would be a flat no if there were any other kids there. My mum described me as "clingy" at that age, so yes, separation anxiety too. 

    I do recall being told "look at me when I am talking to you" at school, which would suggest my eye contact wasn't all that great, and there are plenty of photos of 4 year old me refusing to look at the camera and hiding behind my hair (which I still do). 

    So in short, just because she is comfortable looking people she is comfortable with in the eye, doesn't mean she is not autistic! Good luck for the referral and subsequent meetings. It is better to know one way or the other, I think 

  • We are waiting to get one. My health visitor said she thinks she could be autistic she did the referra. Some have said they dont think she has because of eye contact and she is just shy. She hides from anyone she dosent know well. I know she is different she dosent go off and play at soft play or parks unless we go everywhere with her then she dosent like being looked at. 

  • Definitely sounds indicative.  Does she have a diagnosis, or are you looking to get one?

  • Hi thanks for reply and yes she is very sensory to noise smell and textures. Likes routine or she gets upset. She hits and pinches herself . She is very anxious and has seperation anxiety only just started leaving her at pre school by herself after 9 mths she still gets upset and is not intetested in playing with other children her key worker hasto encourage it. She wakes 3 times a night sonce 12mths and was late meeting all her milestones.  

  • Does she display any other behaviour traits that lead you to believe that she might be autistic?  The eye contact thing doesn't necessarily mean anything.  I work with young autistic people.  Some can give good eye contact.  Others can't look at you at all.