Table of Contents
Is Eye Contact Really an Essential Skill For Those With Autism To Learn?
Eye contact is a vital component of communication and social interaction for many. From the moment we are born, eye contact offers us a powerful means of connection and interpersonal understanding.
For most neurotypical individuals, the focus on eye contact is exceptionally high for a variety of reasons. These reasons often relate to feelings around culture, community, respect, and joint attention. However, it’s essential to recognize that while establishing and maintaining eye contact may feel effortless for many allistic people, this does not reflect everyone’s experience.
For many with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), establishing eye contact can be a highly uncomfortable and challenging experience. Research describes that many on the ASD spectrum who struggle to make eye contact but engage in it anyway report negative experiences. These include symptoms like dizziness, nausea, pain, tremors, increased heart rate, and headaches. Some on the ASD spectrum do not engage in eye contact at all.
While lack of eye contact in autism is not always intentional, an expression of disinterest or an effort to be rude, sadly, it can lead to miscommunications and misperceptions. These negative experiences can result in even worse social outcomes for the ASD population, increases in the negative stigma surrounding ASD, and social isolation.
These new insights have raised concern among the autism community regarding autism and eye contact, leaving some to question: Is eye contact really an essential skill for those with autism to learn?
While each person experiencing neurodiversity is unique, and ASD symptoms affect every person in a very individualized way, in context to eye contact and autism, it’s essential to consider how much the person is affected by this lack of expression. ASD professionals should work hard to understand this before designing interventions or modifying behavior.
While eye contact is a socially significant behavior to society, it is also vital that we consider the reasons we require and expect it from others, especially if it’s distressing. From there, we can determine how valuable the skill is to the ASD person’s goals and safety.
This guide by ABA Centers of Tennessee will explore the importance of eye contact for individuals with autism. We will also describe why many people with ASD find it challenging to maintain and how it affects their lives.
Finally, we will discuss how ABA care, also called applied behavior analysis, can assist those on the ASD spectrum in developing this social skill.
Please keep reading to learn more about this powerful form of nonverbal communication and how we can better accommodate those who struggle with it.
Visit us here for more information about ABA support with ABA Centers of Tennessee. Click here to read other blogs about autism, neurodiversity, and ABA therapy.
Why It’s Difficult for Individuals with Autism to Maintain Eye Contact
Making eye contact is a complex skill for some individuals with autism to develop. While lack of eye contact is a trait in ASD, not everyone on the spectrum avoids it. Additionally, not everyone who avoids eye contact has autism.
Research shows that those who are neurodivergent respond to eye contact differently than those who are not. Some with the condition actively avoid eye contact because it feels confusing or express anxiety when it occurs. Others do not experience the social motivation to engage with eye contact, so they do not.
Some on the spectrum express that they experience trouble talking and making eye contact simultaneously, making it difficult to perform both tasks. Others with ASD report that their ability to demonstrate eye contact behavior depends on the context and circumstances in which they are.
For example, when they feel comfortable and relatively competent, they may be able to tolerate eye contact. In more confusing or complex scenarios, the action may feel overwhelming and painful, causing the individual to avoid using it altogether. In fact, the majority of those on the spectrum experience eye contact as a form of hyperarousal.
All these variables highlight the complex nuances of autism and eye contact.
Over time, some with autism gradually learn to think about social expectations surrounding eye contact and its benefits. As a result, they try to use it periodically, which can support better socialization outcomes. These individuals may have received ABA care for this or organically acquired the skill to access their needs.
The Impact of Eye Contact on Daily Life with Autism
The inability to maintain eye contact impacts daily life for individuals with autism in several ways that can be difficult to underscore.
Eye contact plays a substantial role in establishing and maintaining social bonds. The behavior can affect how individuals engage with friends, their employers, teachers, and other community members, as well as how others perceive them.
Not engaging with eye contact can hinder a person’s ability to develop relationships, engage in conversations, and navigate social situations. It can also keep individuals from expanding their interests and skill sets or confirming they are paying attention to others. These experiences can halt an individual’s social life in many ways.
However, it is vital to acknowledge that lack of eye contact is not always impolite, especially for individuals with ASD, whose condition can make the action nearly impossible.
Recognizing When Eye Contact Truly Matters for Those with Autism
It’s vital as caregivers, allies, and providers that we recognize when we must accommodate differences in others. Sometimes, it’s us as a community that must adjust. While eye contact may be an essential aspect of communication for many, it’s not comfortable for everyone to express we shouldn’t consistently enforce it.
In the best cases, understanding eye contact and autism is about helping equip ASD individuals with the tools they need to effectively engage with the world around them and get their needs met appropriately. This ability should exist to them regardless of whether or not they can demonstrate eye contact.
In most cases, it’s possible to supply ASD individuals with replacement behaviors that serve the same function as eye contact and that others do not perceive as rude. Ultimately, teaching eye contact or any behavior in ASD should never be about demanding conformity at the cost and comfort of others.
According to the National Autistic Society, enforcing neurotypical conformity in autism can sadly result in a behavior called masking. Masking in autism can be physically, emotionally, and mentally draining. In some cases, the damage caused by masking can take a lifetime to undo.
ABA Care and the Journey to Enhancing Social Skills in Autism
ABA therapy is a widely accepted and scientifically validated therapy approach to enhancing the lives of individuals with autism.
ABA promotes helpful behaviors whenever possible, like making eye contact. For example, ABA providers can work to teach ASD individuals ways to demonstrate that they are listening and engaged even if eye contact is problematic for them.
ABA providers employ several specific strategies to help individuals with autism learn more about eye contact. These strategies may include visual supports, modeling, and role-playing, which help make the experience of engaging in eye contact more straightforward and low-pressure.
When teaching eye contact, ABA providers may also involve a step-by-step process of gradually introducing and reinforcing short durations of eye contact in familiar settings. Providers will only do this if the action is not physically painful for the child.
Through exceptional ABA care, social communication should become gratifying, and eye contact should only be encouraged when possible.
Inclusivity and Autism Awareness Lead to Better Outcomes for Many on the Spectrum!
As caregivers and autism allies, it is vital to remember that comfortability and confidence in communication are foundational to improving essential life skills. Forcing eye contact in autism can diminish trust in others and create hesitation around other styles of communication.
The most appropriate approach to encouraging eye contact in autism should focus on enhancing social skills while highlighting the benefits of using them.
By fostering understanding, using evidence-based strategies like ABA, and advocating for compassionate communication that accommodates differences, we all help to create a more dynamic and inclusive environment where everyone can shine.
So, keep learning and understanding new trends in autism research and ABA support.
More About ABA Support With ABA Centers of Tennessee
ABA Centers of Tennessee offer exceptional ABA care to children and teenagers on the autism spectrum alongside top-tier diagnostic options to help them lead fulfilling, connected lives.
Our team at ABA Centers of Tennessee offers neurodivergent families ABA programming that creates brighter futures for them when they need it most, at their pace and on their terms.
We proudly serve regions of Tennessee, including Brentwood, Hendersonville, Nashville, and Madison. Contact us at (844) 423-9483 or via this online link to learn more about how we support youth with autism in Tennessee.
Let’s help neurodivergent teens and children experience better social interactions with their friends and family while understanding their learning styles in better ways. Contact us today.
