Why Doesn’t My Child Look at Me When I’m Talking?

Looking at someone and listening to them are not the same skill. A child may hear and understand what you’re saying while looking at a toy, looking to the side, moving around, or avoiding direct eye contact. For some children, looking away may actually make it easier to process spoken information because they have fewer things to manage at the same time. Instead of using eye contact as the test for listening, look for understanding. Did your child follow the direction, answer, gesture, make the expected choice, or respond after some processing time? Focus on whether communication is working rather than where their eyes are.