A reduced tendency to make eye contact is a feature of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). It is used as a diagnostic marker, but it is not known when this behaviour arises. In a long-term study of 59 infants at high risk and 51 at low risk for ASD, Warren Jones and Ami Klin tracked the development of eye movement through the first 3 years of life. Children who were eventually diagnosed with autism showed normal levels of eye contact in early life, but from 2 months of age their eye-contact levels declined. These findings might represent some of the earliest manifestations of autistic symptoms, but they need to be independently replicated before being considered as a potential diagnostic marker.
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