Social interaction

Hi Elliot's mummy,

At three it is a bit hard to comment. I can give you a longer term perspective.

It is not that eye contact is somehow impossible or that socialisation cannot occur.

Eye contact may not elicit the same information most kids would get (and remember his eye contact has to convey information as well as receive it). If it doesn't work right no amount of achieved eye contact will make much odds. Also the confusing information from eye contact can be distracting or even upsetting. Even so some people sustain the appearance of eye contact by not looking at other people's eyes, but other parts of their faces, often the mouth. It would be very difficult to be certain that it was true eye contact, and more can be gained by focussing on listening.

The medical fraternity put a lot of emphasis on gaze aversion, actual avoidance of eye contact. In part it is easier to point one's ears at someone speaking than one's eyes, as the spoken word becomes the main source of information.

Gloomy perhaps, but it is more about information processing ability than any perceived physical incapacity.

Socialisation involves codes and inferences that a kid with ASD wont understand. So it is more a matter of not being successful at this, than not trying at all. But at 3 it would be hard to say socialisation was really happening.

There's some hope in this. Too much emphasis is placed on non-verbal. The spoken word ought to be enough.

Hi Elliot's mummy,

At three it is a bit hard to comment. I can give you a longer term perspective.

It is not that eye contact is somehow impossible or that socialisation cannot occur.

Eye contact may not elicit the same information most kids would get (and remember his eye contact has to convey information as well as receive it). If it doesn't work right no amount of achieved eye contact will make much odds. Also the confusing information from eye contact can be distracting or even upsetting. Even so some people sustain the appearance of eye contact by not looking at other people's eyes, but other parts of their faces, often the mouth. It would be very difficult to be certain that it was true eye contact, and more can be gained by focussing on listening.

The medical fraternity put a lot of emphasis on gaze aversion, actual avoidance of eye contact. In part it is easier to point one's ears at someone speaking than one's eyes, as the spoken word becomes the main source of information.

Gloomy perhaps, but it is more about information processing ability than any perceived physical incapacity.

Socialisation involves codes and inferences that a kid with ASD wont understand. So it is more a matter of not being successful at this, than not trying at all. But at 3 it would be hard to say socialisation was really happening.

There's some hope in this. Too much emphasis is placed on non-verbal. The spoken word ought to be enough.