They say that "Eyes are the window to our soul", well for most of us our eyes are the window into the social interactions we have with others- we look as a way of engaging and connecting with the people in our life. This tool that can seem second nature to most of us, is something that our children on the autism spectrum may have difficulty with. As we reach out to our children to inspire growth and develop their ability to interact socially with others we can be a guiding light in their development. We can help exercise their ability to look at us more!
Something to try out with your children when inspiring more eye contact is experimenting with giving them something to look at... When we are seeking more eye contact from our children, often the most effective way of drawing their attention to us and our eyes is by being that special something that stands out to them- basically you are giving them something exciting to look at. One way we can do this is by using as many opportunities as we can to highlight our faces and our eyes. For instance when talking to your child try getting down to their eye level. Or when you are offering them something to eat or drink- offer the item as you hold it close to your eyes as a way to draw their attention to your face. Have fun pointing to your eyes when playing games, experiment with creating games around your face and eyes- such as face paint, and have fun celebrating them when they are looking at you!
On the Autism Treatment Center of America's BLOG we also have additional information dedicated to this specific area of growth. I encourage all of you to take a look!
Smiles and warmest wishes,
Kim
