Game Categories
Making Eye Contact
Making eye contact during personal interactions is important social behaviour for establishing emotional connection, engagement, and self-confidence. Many children with autism find making and keeping eye contact difficult, as processing both speech and facial expressions results in an overload of senses. These games teach the importance of eye contact as a method of communication and expressing oneself.
Why this matters
The DSM-5 recognises differences in nonverbal communication, so practice should be gentle and optional, with parent-implemented strategies like modelling, visual supports, and reinforcement used in Whizkid Games to build comfort in low-pressure moments.
How you can support at home
- Begin with brief glances with your child of 1 to 2 seconds in relaxed moments, count looking at the nose or forehead, and never force eye contact.
- Turn it into a short game with stickers or funny glasses, then take a break.
- Praise any comfortable glance and move on, as small frequent wins help learning stick.
Ted’s Ice Cream Adventure
Ted's Ice Cream Adventure teaches the importance of eye contact as a method of communicating interest.
- Utilises cute, appealing characters with instructive animations to engage players
- Enforces the message that if someone is looking at a certain object, they may be interested in it
- Reinforces important interactive phrases ('where should you look?', 'they are looking at their favourite ice-cream') for real-world application.
Bob and Friends
This game teaches when to make eye contact by using a narrative involving Bob the train and his friend Nick, where they must look at each other to communicate and complete tasks.
- Utilises train characters and fun sound effects for familiarity and engagement
- Enforces the message that if someone is looking at you, they may be trying to catch your attention
- Reinforces keywords (‘looking’, ‘look’) and affirming phrases ('good job', 'good choice') for real-world application
Related guides
- Building Eye Contact Skills in Autistic Children
Eye contact can be challenging for autistic children. Learn gentle, respectful strategies to build comfort with eye gaze through play-based activities and games.