02/17/2017
One of the earliest signs of an infant at risk for developing autism is gaze avoidance. Whereas typically developing babies starting making eye contact between 4-6 weeks old ... children at risk for autism very noticeably avoid looking into the eyes of anyone looking at them even his or her parents. One explanation for this avoidance is offered by Richard J. Davidson who lead a team of researchers to get fMRIs (Functional MRIs) on babies who avoided eye contact and discovered that they had a larger amygdala than typically developing children which is important because the amygdala has been called the fear center of the brain. In other words, when a child experiences fear the amygdala sends out the alarm and looking directly into the eyes of another person causes children with autism to experience fear or discomfort. So, if the gaze avoidance continues into 6-8 weeks then it may be followed by the absence of the social smile that usually emerges during these weeks. The late Dr. Stanley Greenspan advised parents of these infants to "woo" them into eye contact and as much social interaction as possible. The worst thing to do is to leave them alone even though they may prefer the isolation. To learn more about this critical processes you might pick up Dr. Davidson's book: The Emotional Life of Your Brain: How Its Unique Patterns Affect the Way You Think, Feel, and Live--and How You Can Change Them. It is
co-authored by Sharon Begley.
