Poor Eye Contact in Neurodivergents


 As neurodivergents, our behaviors can be misunderstood by neurotypicals and even by other neurodivergents as well as ourselves. Therefore, it's very important to understand the neurodivergent processing in social interactions. We can't be judged based on what people learn from psychology books and the common views based on neurotypical behavior.


One example is eye contact. 


 Page 41 from A SOLUTION TO THE RIDDLE – DYSLEXIA by Harold N. Levinson, M.D. 

“Occasionally , dyslexics were considered to be negativistic on the basis of their hesitant, ambivalent, and anxiety-laden avoidance of handshaking and/or eye contact. Only in retrospect were these "anti-social" avoidance symptoms recognized to be due to primary somatic, rather than primary psychogenic, disturbances. Thus, upon neurodynamic exploration, hand contact was avoided because of right/left uncertainty and the anticipated embarassment of using the wrong hand. In a similar fashion, upon analysis, eye contact was avoided in order to minimize (1) ocular perseveration, (2) directionally confused and dysmetric ocular scanning mechanisms, and (3) the catastrophic discomfort triggered when "forced" to fixate moving facial features during communication.” 

“For some dyslexics, simultaneous listening and looking were more than they could "take" physiologically, and as a result they tended to sacrifice direction-dependent looking or eye contact in order to preserve the direction and sequence of auditory verbalizations and comprehension. In retrospect, it appeared as if dyslexics could not simultaneously coordinate and integrate directional and/or sequential visual,auditory,proprioceptive,and motor processing. “

 (Dr. Harold N. Levinson believe that neurodivergent conditions have highly significant overlapping symptoms and tend to be co-morbid with each other. That's why Dr Levinson refers to neurodivergence as Dyslexic Syndrome.)

 http://www.dyslexiaonline.com/index.html  


I can relate to the aforementioned things. I tend to have problems looking at people while they are talking and when I am talking. My auditory processing differences also factor because I get auditory overload very easily. My visual processing differences also factor because I get visual overload very easily and have eye tracking problems. The combination of auditory processing problems and visual processing problems greatly impact my social interactions with others. I think that I mistake my coordination difficulties with eye contact for shyness which is based on actual fear and anxiety. The sensory integration issues could be mistaken for shyness too. It's important to distinguish neurological issues from psychological issues. 

I want to make a point that just because people have problems with eye contact doesn't mean that they are rude nor inconsiderate. If a person has problems with eye contact when communicating, it doesn't mean that he is being dishonest. It might not even be shyness. 

I know what it's like to be told "Look at me when I am talking to you." and getting chewed out for having poor eye contact by my stepfather and my superiors when I was in the navy. 

Be aware that psychiatrists can misunderstand poor eye contact as a symptom of schizophrenia. Poor eye contact is a known symptom of schizophrenia. Therefore, it's important for a psychiatrist to differentiate neurodivergence from schizophrenia.  Poor eye contact is also a symptom of autism, but you don't have to be autistic to have poor eye contact. 


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