Eye Contact

[HeidiD]

I'm reading an interesting book - "The Dominance Factor" by Carla Hannaford, Ph.D. (neuroscientist)

 

Info. in the book might offer one possible explanation as to why some of our kids are mistakenly labeled autistic.

 

According to her, thinking style and visual behavior are related (for instance, people with a certain profile avert or close their eyes while thinking, in order to focus better). :blink:

[Guest]

I thought I recognized that name; I had read her book Smart Moves a number of years ago, about the importance of the body and movement to learning. I read it when my dd was at the peak of her physical and visual-spatial issues in elementary school and found it very useful. This new one looks interesting too -- thanks for the note.

[HeidiD]

I thought I recognized that name; I had read her book Smart Moves a number of years ago, about the importance of the body and movement to learning. I read it when my dd was at the peak of her physical and visual-spatial issues in elementary school and found it very useful. This new one looks interesting too -- thanks for the note.

 

You're welcome. It's really fascinating stuff. We figured out the profiles of everyone in our own little "family laboratory" of nine, :) and the associated characteristics, strengths and weaknesses in the profile descriptions seem very accurate.

 

She describes the "most disadvantaged group of learners in our traditional school system" as the "Gestalt full sensory limited learners". In other words, right-brained, right-eyed, right-eared, right handed and right footed. She found that 44% of special education students in her study matched this profile. According to her, Albert Einstein fits in this group.

 

She also describes the "Eighth Grade Algebra Dilemma", about a girl who turned her eyes away from the teacher so she could listen more effectively. Because she sat in the front row, he would notice and keep telling her to pay attention and look at the board, whereupon, she "would lose the whole concept". It became kind of a vicious cycle, and as a result, she was failing algebra. :tongue_smilie:

[Guest]

That is fascinating. The whole American emphasis on eye contact has made me wonder many times how my daughter would fare if she came up in a courtroom against someone like Judge Judy, who judges truth-telling by whether or not the witness looks her in the eyes. If they look off to the side, she'll often tell them very sternly, "Look me in the eyes." DD would find this threatening and it would make it far more difficult for her to organize her thoughts and articulate them to a stranger (she's an Aspie).

 

The note about special ed students is especially sobering.

[razorbackmama]

I'm reading an interesting book - "The Dominance Factor" by Carla Hannaford, Ph.D. (neuroscientist)

 

Info. in the book might offer one possible explanation as to why some of our kids are mistakenly labeled autistic.

 

According to her, thinking style and visual behavior are related (for instance, people with a certain profile avert or close their eyes while thinking, in order to focus better). :blink:

 

I can totally see that. I know that when I am the one doing the talking, I often have to look around. I can only make steady eye contact when I'm listening. And if there is some sort of "weirdness" about the person, I DEFINITELY can't look at them, concentrate, and talk all at the same time. I used to have a psychiatrist whose eyes wiggled all over the place. It was very disconcerting, so I couldn't look at him at ALL when I spoke.

 

My dad almost NEVER looks at people when he's speaking.

[HeidiD]

That is fascinating. The whole American emphasis on eye contact has made me wonder many times how my daughter would fare if she came up in a courtroom against someone like Judge Judy, who judges truth-telling by whether or not the witness looks her in the eyes. If they look off to the side, she'll often tell them very sternly, "Look me in the eyes." DD would find this threatening and it would make it far more difficult for her to organize her thoughts and articulate them to a stranger (she's an Aspie).

 

The note about special ed students is especially sobering.

 

That's a scary thought! And I would venture to guess that a large number of lawyers, judges (and even neuropsychs) are logic hemisphere dominant students who "tend to demonstrate high linear and verbal abilities". According to Hannaford's study, these learners constitute the highest percentage of kids who receive the gifted and talented label. When I had jury duty recently, the prosecutors literally ripped the defendant to shreds because he had difficulty processing what they were saying. One of their tactics was to blow him away with words and make him look foolish. Whenever he got bogged down with their questioning, they would ostentatiously restate their questions in a very simplistic, exaggeratedly patient way.

 

My daughter has Aspergers, but never avoided eye contact. The doctors we dealt with initially were very cautious about making the diagnosis for that reason, despite the preponderance of other symptoms.

 

Ironically, my son who is clearly not on the spectrum, is suspect because his eye contact is affected by his processing style.

 

I have known various people on the spectrum. Some avoid eye contact and others don't. Some (like my daughter) have qualitatively impaired eye contact. They don't register that socially appropriate behavior requires that one not stare at someone else intrusively or for too long a duration.

 

There are various reasons for "insufficient" eye contact that have nothing to do with inattention, lack of honesty, etc. Some are related to social discomfort, others to processing style.

 

Seems like eye contact shouldn't be given as much weight as it seems to be given in the diagnostic process. :tongue_smilie:

[HeidiD]

I can totally see that. I know that when I am the one doing the talking, I often have to look around. I can only make steady eye contact when I'm listening.

 

Any type of question that requires analysis or the necessity of remembering important facts, and I avert my eyes, also.

 

No way I could ever give an extemporaneous speech (I'd be looking away from the audience the entire time). :lol:

[mcconnellboys]

I do, I DO!!!! Thanks, I think I need to read this book. I've thought in recent years that maybe I'm on the Aspberger's spectrum and that this is just one of my quirks.... I really, really can't concentrate, especially if I'm trying to give lots of details to someone, unless I look at some fixed object or close my eyes. I'll lose some of the detail if I don't and leave out something I want to tell them.

 

For me, looking into someone's eyes, which are constantly moving and changing, which reflect me, other things behind me, etc. is just too, too distracting from what I'm trying to accomplish. That's one reason I prefer a forum like this where I can type everythning out for someone and look back over it to make sure that I haven't left anything out. I type really fast, so that part of it is really not an issue for me....

 

I'll check out this book!