Looking is a critical part of communication and social interaction. We learn information when we pay attention to people's facial expressions, their gestures and other body movements. We learn more by observing what is going on in the surrounding environment.


Problems with eye contact. . .
Students with autism are frequently described as having a lack of eye contact. More careful observation can reveal a variety of looking behaviors. Sometimes students:

• Avert their gaze to purposely avoid looking at people
• Avoid eye contact vigorously as if trying to avoid pain
• Don't look because they are looking somewhere else
• May look, but they don't look at the important places where other people would look
• Do not look like they are looking, but they seem to know everything that is happening

These students do not use their eyes effectively to enhance communication and social interaction. They don't use their eyes well to make a social connection with others.

What does this mean for social skills?
Looking is an important foundation skill for effective social interaction. Eye contact is the basis for making a social connection with people. Looking at the right things can enhance communication. Here are some reasons why:

People communicate with body language and facial expressions and gestures. If a student doesn't look at them he will miss very important pieces of communication information.

A lot of social learning comes from watching other people. Not watching eliminates many opportunities to learn new information and model new behavior.

Eye contact lets people know we are listening. Not looking or not looking like you are paying attention can make the communication partner feel ignored. Then they may feel uncomfortable or stop communicating.

Focusing on less significant details can prevent students
from grasping the big picture or the larger context of an
event or interaction.

And here is one more piece . . .
I have talked with a number of teens and adults with ASD who have told me the same thing. They say, "I can either look or I can listen, but I have a hard time doing both at the same time." They describe having difficulty when too much information is coming in at once.

It is not just an eyeball-to-eyeball thing. . .
The solution is not just teaching children to stare at someone's
eyes. Staring eyeball to eyeball won't create the result we want.
You see . . . it is not just a problem with looking. It is a problem with focusing attention.

So this is what we need to teach. . .
Teaching students to look and establish eye contact is OK . . . as long as we are teaching them to do it in a natural way. (We don't want to teach them to stare.) But this is not the only skill that needs to be considered. Here are more . . .

1. Orient to the person they are talking to
   Teach students to turn their body toward the person. That helps students look like they are paying attention.
2. Look like a listener
   We need to teach students to look attentive. They must manage the rest of their body so they can attend to a communication partner. Excessive body movement, playing with objects or related behaviors can disrupt good attending.
3. Watch other people
   Students need to learn what to pay attention to. Having them practice watching people can help. Make it a game. Specific instruction in how to look, where to look, and what details to pay attention to can be beneficial. Students may need help accurately interpreting what they see.

Establishing attention will help students become more successful in the social environment. Developing the ability to look like an attentive communication partner is essential to enhance a student's social presence. It will make a difference in how other people perceive them. Yes . . . it will make a difference.

Copyright © 2007 Linda Hodgdon

Have YOU attended Visual Strategies on TOUR? Plans are
being finalized for fall and winter dates. Can you join me in one
of these cities?

Check these locations:

• Schaumburg (Chicago), IL
• King of Prussia (Philadelphia), PA
• Dallas, TX
• Richmond, VA
• Kansas City, MO
• Santa Ana, CA
• Murfreesboro (Nashville), TN

Are you a techie?

Or are you one of those people who tell me you aren't very comfortable with the digital world?

So, here's my question. . . .

Did you ever read an e-Book?

E-Books are a fabulous way to get more great information . . . FAST. When you make a selection,
the best part is that you get to download your book right away.
No waiting for the mailman to deliver anything.

E-Books can be long or short. Most important, they are convenient.

This is especially good news for international readers. You can get
e-Books without worrying about shipping costs or customs charges.

Are you planning for your staff
in-service training for next year? Do you ever get complaints about boring programs filled
with useless information?

Visual Strategies Workshops are packed with lots of practical "how-to" information that participants can take back to
use the next day.

Here is what one program planner said
"In my 25 years+ of educational experience
(14 as an admin), I have never seen a group of
educators so attentive!" - Administrator

Give your educators effective tools to make a difference
with their students.

I am totally convinced that it is more important to master the use of visual strategies for effective communication than almost any other teaching strategy you can learn. The Visual Strategies Workshop has helped thousands of people do that.


Since summer is the perfect time for regrouping, retooling, rethinking, remaking, and remembering . . . . I convinced QuirkRoberts Publishing to have a SPECIAL SUPER SUMMER SALE!

The Visual Strategies Workshop is on SALE!

But wait . . . . There's MORE!

I have been learning to use some new technology. So, I decided to practice by creating a new DVD program titled Engineering the Classroom with Visual Strategies. It's packed with step-by-step procedures to make environments communication friendly.

This DVD ($29.95 value) has not been released for purchase yet, but I gave permission for it to be included as a FREE BONUS for anyone purchasing the Visual Strategies Workshop.

Visual Strategies Workshop on SALE

Plus a FREE BONUS

Offer will last only until August 9.

Hi Linda and Company,

I love your video presentation. We have five units of students with Autism in our district and many more students with serious language problems.

We have a library to lend teachers, paraprofessionals and parents educational resources. Your series is the most popular item on our list.

The way you blend the "real educational" stuff with your experiences makes it so much easier to see the way it is with real people. I guess I mean you humanize the literature! We recently included parts of the videos in our paraprofessional training. They loved you!

Thank you for doing such a great job in educating us. It is difficult to order videos or DVD's and hope that you have spent your money wisely.

I will admit, I've bought a number of them I can't even get through one time-kind of like my workout videos!

I have watched your series a number of times and I learn something new each time. You help to validate what I already know and remind me of other things I have forgotten and need to reintroduce into my therapy.

Sincerely,
Linda Watt, M.A., CCC-SLP
Kent City Schools

Linda Hodgdon, M.Ed., CCC-SLP is a Speech- Language Pathologist and a Consultant for Autism Spectrum Disorders. She is the author of the bestseller, Visual Strategies for Improving Communication, one of the most recommended books in the field of autism.

Internationally recognized as a powerful and informative speaker and consultant, Linda has presented her insightful and dynamic workshops to audiences of educators and parents worldwide.

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