Effect of Social Stimuli on Postural Responses in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Ghanouni et al. (2017) watched how kids with autism stood still while looking at faces or objects. They used a force plate to measure tiny body wobbles. The team compared kids with autism to typically developing peers.

Children with autism swayed more when they saw faces than when they saw objects. Their peers without autism showed no difference. The sway grew even larger for kids with more severe autism traits.

LeBlanc et al. (2003) first showed that kids with autism wobble more under any changed sensory condition. Parisa adds that social pictures, not just blurry vision, can trigger that wobble.

Martín-Díaz et al. (2026) pooled 34 studies and confirmed poorer balance in autism. The new twist: faces alone can act like a balance challenge.

Kaartinen et al. (2016) found that kids who stay physiologically tense during eye contact have worse social skills. Parisa links the same social stress to a visible motor sign—more sway.

Expect more rocking, toe-tapping, or falling when you ask a child with autism to look at you. Offer a chair, a wall, or a footstool during face-to-face work. Start teaching social skills while the child is already seated or leaning against something sturdy.