Avoidance of Eye Contact
The avoidance of eye contact is a common symptom of echolalia. Generally, individuals with a diagnosed mental health condition may often avoid eye contact with people when talking. For individuals without a mental health condition, eye contact avoidance could be due to issues like lack of confidence or shyness. Note that in children, lack of eye contact may be due to different reasons. Some of them may result from fear or dislike from the person trying to make eye contact. It could also be due to culture regarding keeping eye contact as a sign of disrespect, which includes Asian cultures. Avoidance of eye contact may occur alongside other symptoms of autism for children. Therapy is an effective treatment that may help children’s overall communication skills with the condition, including keeping eye contact.