Eye contact is used to show that you are listening. It is also used to gain someone’s attention. Sometimes, children with speech and language delays tend to give slightly less eye contact. Insisting the child to look into someone else’s eyes can be uncomfortable and he/she may not be ready for it.
Here are some fun ideas you could use to encourage your child to look at you more
- You can get down to their level. This will make it easier for your child to look at you. If your child is sitting on the floor and playing a game, you should play on the floor with the child, so you are at the same level.
- You can use finger puppets and hold them up near your eyes. Make them move and talk so it seems fun for your child.
- Playing people games such as peek-a-boo or tickling games can also encourage eye contact. After playing the activity a few times, you can stop the activity, look at your child expectantly and wait for your child to look at you before continuing the game.
- You can sing songs together. Occasionally, you can stop singing, look at your child expectantly, and wait for your child to look at you before continuing the song
If your child is not ready to look directly into your eyes, you can first work on encouraging him/her to look in your direction instead of specifically your face. This is especially useful for children who often look at the floor or wall instead of the person.
It is important to remember that some children with other underlying difficulties such as autism spectrum disorder can find looking at other people’s eyes too overwhelming. Insisting on eye contact may not be something he/she is ready for. It is important that you speak to your speech pathologist to understand if the ideas would be helpful for your child.
Written by Tasneem Abdul Samad, Speech Pathologist.
