Autism Soccer: Eye Contact in Autistic Children: Its Relationship with Genetics

According to studies, the root of autistic's tendency to avoid eye contact could be in genetics.

Most of the traits that are considered part of the Autism Disorder are associated with social behavior and communication skills. Among the signs of ASD, kids often show difficulties in learning, attention deficit, anxiety disorder or repetition of words and behaviors. But curiously, there’s one of these traits that could have a genetic explanation: the tendency to avoid eye contact.

A study suggests that genetics could provide an answer for this tendency, which could lead to believe that social gaze patterns are heritable. However, these researchers did not look at autistic children. The study was based on neurotypical identical twins, and to their surprise, they found out twins share similar gaze patterns when watching videos or by interacting in general. But still, these results must be compared to cases of identical twins with autism to confirm this theory.

This study’s been out for long, and the first results were presented at the 2016 International Meeting for Autism Research in Baltimore. According to John Constantino, these results are “absolutely striking,” as they might unravel some secrets behind autism and ways of identifying it early. Studies such as these are of vital importance to understand more about this disorder, as many things are not completely understood yet. Gaze is only the first step into comprehending traits that define the way autistic people communicate.

There’s much to be done on the subject, but researchers continue to unravel mysteries behind autism as time passes. As for today, it remains as the main goal to continually look for ways to help those with the disorder. If you’re willing to support this cause or need assistance for your children, Autism Soccer might be the best option to help them out. Access their website, and you’ll see why!