While the many research suggest that the ASD is characterized by the impairment in communication, social interaction, repetitive motion, and restricted interests. It is well acknowledged by majority of scientists all over the world that, sensory processing issues are also one of the prominent presenting characters of ASD along with the impairments mentioned above. So incorrect processing of the visual information presented to eyes can be a reason to confusion and discomfort and can also be an underlying cause to some of the commonly presented behaviors associated with ASD including avoiding eye contact, and stimming.
How Autistic people see the world:
Dona Williams, who is well known autistic adult wrote in her, book that, “Colors and things and people would fly, doors would get kicked in and sometimes faces would, too. But it was never whole people, only their pieces.” (Book – Nobody Nowhere). This is just a hint how world appears to autism. Often people with autism see world and people into fragmented and in distorted forms which looks normal to our eyes. This might induce fear to make eye contact in autistic people.
Individuals with autism and visual processing disorder face problem in following ways:
Visual sensory overload: When too much information is presented to eyes leading to discomfort child on ASD might perform certain actions like stimming, hand flapping, and avoiding eye contact to counteract the chaotic discomfort. Bright light, fluorescent light, bright decorations, cluttered background etc are the example which can create discomfort in child on ASD.
Environmental Distortion:
Child on ASD with Visual processing disorder may see the objects as well as people in his surrounding into broken pieces, or with cracked fashion. Sometimes even they can see their environment as blurred, moving, inverted ways. These results in an inability to maintain eye contacts initiate or maintain conversations, interpret facial expression and poor social skills.
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