Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often find it difficult to look others in the eyes. This avoidance has typically been interpreted as a sign of social and personal indifference but reports from people with autism suggest otherwise.
A team of investigators based at the Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging has shed light on the brain mechanisms involved in this behavior. Results show that this behavior is a way to decrease unpleasant excessive arousal stemming from overactivation in a particular part of the brain.
In revealing the underlying reasons for eye avoidance, the study also suggests more effective ways of engaging individuals with autism. The findings indicate that forcing children with autism to look into someone’s eyes in behavioral therapy may create a lot of anxiety for them. An approach involving slow habituation to eye contact may help them overcome this overreaction and be able to handle eye contact in the long run, thereby avoiding the cascading effects that this eye avoidance has on the development of the social brain.
To improve eye contact, you must come to the child’s eye level, be on your knees, place the child’s favorite toy, block, etc. next to your eye and talk to the child about it. Try that the child looks into your eye, and you must maintain a smile on your face. Once this stage is reached that the kid looks at you for a few seconds and then you increase the time duration by talking more about the toy or otherwise. Remember, it will be a long process so do not lose hope. Also, whenever the child looks at you, you must look at him with love and maintain eye contact with them. This will also improve their facial expression reading.
Ref: http://www.mgh.harvard.edu/
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