Do people on the spectrum always have poor eye contact?

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Or is that a myth that's been passed down as gospel? The assessor said my eye contact was ok today but not so good at the first assessment. My stepdaughter pointed out that my eye contact was not good with strangers.

I am consciously aware that making eye contact is seen as the socially acceptable way to do things and therefore will try to make eye contact. It's not something I feel totally comfortable with though.

Yes we do, 100% of us.

It is even such a big problem that our eyes fall out even if we even consider learn to look people in the eye. There is no way to learn this, especially not by looking people in the forehead then slowly over time learn to look people in the eye. Also, Aspies/Autistics are totally incapable of change, especially with age and every prejudice that is uttered by any random stranger is 100% correct.

Are you being sarcastic or serious? Is the rolling eyes smiley indicating sarcasm or "Oh boy we've got a right idiot here" ?

Lack of eye contact is one of very many autistic traits that some have and some don't.
And varies depending on the severity of autism.

Like many hallmark traits it's something that's looked for in small children as a telltale sign of autism.

Some of us do, some of us don't, and some of us seem to "lock on" with our eyes or have what has been called a "death stare".

Y'know ... just like regular people ...

Sometimes, I have to force myself to make eye contact.

There are times, though, that I do eye contact naturally.

^^ Thanks for that explanation. One thing I struggle with is how little is too little and how much is too much. It's not a natural process for me ie I'll make eye contact because I know eye contact is expected,
and as I'm doing it I'm thinking 'Do I look away yet or not?'


It also depends on who I'm with.

I used to have poor eye contact when i was younger, but ABA forced me to make eye contact. My current eye contact level seems "typical," but I don't always like making eye contact. For example, I will generally avoid eye contact with a person I dislike or don't trust, but that might be considered "typical."

<- PHD in Sarcasm.

Not calling you an idiot, i'm calling this an idiot question that is asked too often, and should be put in a FAQ. I'm just tired of the lack of understanding from autistics that they are not the center of the universe.

The only thing you and i have in common is the diagnostic criteria:
https://iancommunity.org/cs/about_asds/ ... s_syndrome

* Eye contact problems is common in autism, but everyone does not have problems with it. It is not part of the diagnosis.

* Alexithymia is also common, but everyone does not have problems with it. It is not part of the diagnosis.

* Face blindness i've heard of on these forums, but everyone does not have problems with it. It is not part of the diagnosis.

* Stimming is common in autism, but everyone does not have problems with it. It is not part of the diagnosis.

Seeing a pattern yet?

Yes, I have had difficulties with eye contact most of my life. But it wasn't always a deficit. As a child, into my teens, and well into my 20s, I was guilty of the "death stare" as fnord proposed. I still feel bad about the holes I stared thru people.

The past 15-20 years my eye contact has swung the other direction and I have trouble making enough. I wear shades when I can which eliminates the need for eye contact and for the most part interaction with others altogether. If I am going to be in a situation where I will have to interact with others, I usually take a small spiral notebook with me to give me an alternative object to focus on. Even when I go to my autism support group meetings I take this notebook. I do write down who is sitting where in an effort to remember names etc, but that is about all.

I think I have learned how to decently manage eye contact, especially in a one-on-one situation. One therapist I went to said "Aspies usually have trouble with eye contact but you don't seem to have that." That's when I looked up from my notebook and demonstrated my death stare for her and explained further that whatever other eye contact I was doing was learned and conscious behavior. She responded with "Hmmmm....I see."

People probably ask about these symptoms a lot because they are some of the ones that make us most obviously different from neurotypical people. Even if it were put in an FAQ that wouldn't necessarily stop people from asking about it, especially since these symptoms can still look very different depending on the individual. I, for example, dislike eye contact but I have trained myself to do it because I know it's expected.

There are no bad questions, only impatient responders.

Difficulty with eye contact is a hallmark of Autism, but no it's not everyone.

I don't have a problem with eye contact. Which is why I had to make https://wrongplanet.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=373707 to ask my own question about it.

I have been told "you have crazy eye contact" before. I believe they ment I made intense eye contact, not that I was crazy lol That is undoubtedly due to my vision impairment though.