Does anyone know the aveage for autstic kids that have good eye contact? Maybe there isn't a known average but does anyones child have good eye contact? My son was dig. PDD in Nov. of 2004 and dig. autistic in June of 2005. He has good eye contact. He is going to a special ed. class and due to his new dig. they want to do their own autistic testing. I don't really see why but..... One of the teachers that is doing the testing keeps telling me he has good eye contact. I don't understand why she keeps telling me this but.... Everyones comments are welcome. Thank you all very much.

Hi,

I am not sure of an average regarding eye contact, but it has been my understanding that some kids may have more of a problem with this than others. Normally the lack of eye contact is included in symptoms related to social communication and is listed among items like using proper body distancing, gestures, etc.

I have noticed with my son that he is better with eye contact with people he knows. He is shy and has anxiety, and I think this plays into it also. Does your son tend to give eye contact to strangers? He may just be comfortable with his teacher.

If her continuing to point his eye contact out during "testing" bothers you I would tell her that you are pleased with this ability, point out some of his deficits along these lines, and tell her that it is your understanding that kids on the spectrum present differently and that some children with autism do make eye contact.

Also, I recall reading that kids with autism use eye contact differently. He may know to look at someone when they are talking to him, but fail to use eye contact to emphasize a point he is making or to check in with you to see if something he is considering is okay. They have found that the functions of eye contact are often impaired with kids with ASD.

Take Care,

Conner's Mom

Both of you have said some very useful thing snd grest pionts. Thank you. Kemp use to not have good eye contact but before I knew he was autistic I would demand eye contact. So he is good. He is not good with strangers and is shy. He might look at a stranger but if they look back he whines and looks down. He doesn't always have good eye contact with extended fam. members. Although he has very good EC w/ my sister. But she is with us ALL the time. She is like my bestfriend! And the only one who would talerate Kemp. Now I seem to be rambling. LOL Well thank you you both!!!