Making eye contact with other autistics

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Can you make eye contact with other autistic people?
Full 34%  34%  [ 11 ]
Partial 41%  41%  [ 13 ]
Not at all 25%  25%  [ 8 ]
Total votes : 32

BeggingTurtle
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01 Aug 2014, 7:34 am

I can do it, I'm just wondering whether I am the only one or not.


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AspieUtah
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01 Aug 2014, 9:16 am

I have written on Wrong Planet that my eye contact consists of very brief glances at the other person(s) with whom I am talking to: 1) show them that I am attentive to their statements, and 2) see if they are attentive to mine. Beyond that, I prefer to watch my surroundings while I talk. I have occasionally found others who do the same thing, but I wasn't aware that they were autistic.


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MathGirl
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01 Aug 2014, 10:45 am

I can do it, too, when the person isn't speaking for long periods of time, so the whole exchange becomes non-verbal and through the eyes.

People on the spectrum often don't talk as much, so eye contact becomes easier because, on its own, it takes up all of my processing capacity. When there's verbal and eye contact going on at the same time, eye contact is too overwhelming, because I cannot discern what the person is saying at the same time. Many people can switch quickly from one channel to another, but I cannot or it's very exhausting to do so.


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eggheadjr
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01 Aug 2014, 11:50 am

Can't say - haven't found too many other autistic chickens yet in the barnyard I'm in.


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Lumi
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01 Aug 2014, 12:05 pm

Have only met 6? (5 were special needs students). I can look at their face. The first I helped look after was non-verbal...could easily watch his eyes.


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Jacoby
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01 Aug 2014, 12:18 pm

I can't imagine it would make any difference but I also can't say I've met too many that I knew of. It would be interesting to study their face and movements just to see how I might look.



DevilKisses
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01 Aug 2014, 2:49 pm

I find it way harder to make eye contact with autistics. Probably because they avoid it. I usually make eye contact with NTs.


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jetbuilder
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01 Aug 2014, 6:11 pm

I've only met two other people on the spectrum and I haven't noticed any difference in my eye contact with them compared to with NTs.


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Who_Am_I
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01 Aug 2014, 6:50 pm

I can make eye contact with anyone, I just don't like it/forget to do it.

I'm less likely to make eye contact with other autistic people since they tend to be less bothered by a lack of it.


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Paleonerd21
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17 Aug 2023, 11:21 pm

Who_Am_I wrote:
I can make eye contact with anyone, I just don't like it/forget to do it.

I'm less likely to make eye contact with other autistic people since they tend to be less bothered by a lack of it.

My experience exactly.


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funeralxempire
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18 Aug 2023, 8:56 am

^ Same. I can bore a hole through someone's soul with eye contact, if need be. That doesn't mean I enjoy making eye contact though.


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18 Aug 2023, 10:11 am

I don't know any other autistic person except my brother so I couldn't answer this question.
From the outset, I absolutely do not see how the fact that an individual is autistic will change anything to my weak eye modulations (however, I know that I have a lot of trouble with light-eyed individuals).
Maybe it will even be more difficult for me with an autistic individual because I might be more used to the "neurotypical gaze".



swrider
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18 Aug 2023, 11:43 am

Eye contact is the single most annoying thing that I get asked about or read about. I have no idea if I make eye contact. Sure there are times I notice I am looking someone in the eye, but at other times I am looking at objects or a computer screen etc... When I think about it, my patterns change so I don't know how much eye contact I give when I am not thinking about it.