Communication w. or w/o eye contact?

[Salsa]

A student in our ECE (early childhood education) probably has Asperger Syndrome. (Tip toe walking, poor social skills/very self-centered in comparison to other students his age, seemingly no empathy, likes to rock and shake his hands in the air, talks but in an odd tone of voice (high pitched & inappropriate inflection), repeats things he hears), doesn't like to be touched, poor eye contact), to name a few.

I'm wondering if anyone can help me with this, though. When talking to him, I'm careful to get his attention but I am not sure, when doing this, if it is good to make eye contact (which he avoids) or look off a bit so that he is not as uncomfortable.

Also, any ideas to help at nap-time. He gets really loud (seldom naps) and has woken up other kids several times.

~Salsa

[Zer]

My understanding (as I learn about Asperger's as a late-life dx at 60) is that all sorts of coaching is available to help Aspies integrate. I think it is exhausting, spending time with people, being hypervigilant for social cues that I simply do not see or fail to pick up as being significant. But I know that coaching is now available and is making life easier for people of all ages. Good luck in finding age-appropriate help for this child. Brain-gym suggests physical exercises that increase focus. http://www.braingym.org/

[semeasy]

My understanding (as I learn about Asperger's as a late-life dx at 60) is that all sorts of coaching is available to help Aspies integrate. I think it is exhausting, spending time with people, being hypervigilant for social cues that I simply do not see or fail to pick up as being significant. But I know that coaching is now available and is making life easier for people of all ages. Good luck in finding age-appropriate help for this child. Brain-gym suggests physical exercises that increase focus. http://www.braingym.org/

I think this is pretty good advice!

[Footprints]

I have an 12yo aspie who's made great strides re eye contact, but it STILL goes into the toilet when he's anxious. He was in Speech for many years in early elem with a great ST teacher who worked specifically on making eye contact, and it did help. So I would suggest a good therapist or early ed intervention-earlier you start, the better. That said, I don't think it's bad to look the child in the eye, but you don't want to make it an issue in the classroom for him to return it. If the child can't, he can't. It was definitely a progression that couldn't be rushed!

Re naptime........ooh, you'd be AWESOME if you didn't make him take a nap! My aspie stopped napping really early-certainly before he started preschool, which was 2yo. And since he was nonverbal but his mind was always going, he both couldn't express his dismay nor could he slow down enough to even pretend to take a nap. I simply couldn't take him anywhere that made the children nap!