So your baby should be able to make and maintain eye contact with you by 9 weeks old. But when it comes to the ceiling specifically, there might be some contrast there that interests them, like the light fixture or a shadow. "Newborns and infants are visually attracted to stark contrast.
Since babies are often on their backs, fixing their eyes straight ahead to check out the fan, the ceiling texture, or some lights is all normal and completely fascinating to them. Many caregivers say that their baby loves ceiling fans.
A baby's attention is naturally drawn to objects in motion, which provide greater visual stimulation and help them develop their visual skills. So don't be surprised to see your baby staring at ceiling fans. Your baby is also naturally curious. Moving objects change position and direction, sometimes unpredictably.
Your child's mind is such a busy place with everything she's learning every day, and her imagination is growing as fast as she is. No wonder some kids “space out” and stare into space from time to time. Though most staring spells are perfectly normal, sometimes they can signal an absence seizure.
Babies often stare at objects during their formative years because their eyesight is still developing. This makes moving objects all the more fascinating. Your baby is learning to use their eyes and training them to focus on an object while it is in motion.
While babies can't be diagnosed with ADHD yet, there are some signs that may be present even in infants, such as a “challenging” temperament and language and motor delays.
Making little or no eye contact. Difficulty in following objects with their eyes. Hearing their name does not produce a response. Having limited or no reaction to loud sounds, or not turning their head to locate sounds.
Answer: Children with autism are often described as being in their own world, or staring off into space. And it's important to distinguish that from an absence seizure.
Absence Seizures: also known as "petit mal" seizures, absence seizures typically involve a sudden altered state of consciousness while the child or baby's eyes remain open in an abnormal fixed gaze. This type of seizure rarely lasts longer than 20-30 seconds and can happen several times a day.
Social signs
However, children with autism tend to be less observant of those around them. They often prefer to play alone, and may struggle to copy the words and actions of others.
A baby's vision develops slowly over their first six to eight months, notes Gritchen, which is one of the reasons why high contrast objects and moving objects like ceiling fans are more likely to attract the baby's attention.
Their Little Brains are Developing
Thus, if your baby is staring into space, it's probably because s/he's working overtime on developing his/her mind. Some parents worry if their baby is staring at seemingly nothing. Nonetheless, it may be a sign of their brain working extra hard!
It's important to note that just because a toddler may exhibit some signs of autism, it does not necessarily mean they have autism. Some toddlers may show delays in communication or socialization due to other factors such as hearing loss, language barriers, or even simply being introverted.
Early signs of autism can be detected in babies by playing peek-a-boo, research has shown. If their brains respond less than they should to the stimulating game they are more likely to be diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as toddlers.
If your child experiences an absence seizure: They may look like they are staring off into space or have a blank stare. Your child has temporarily lost awareness of what's happening around them. They may suddenly stop all activity — even in the middle of an activity — and will not respond during the seizure.
Typical Absence Seizures
These seizures are the most common. The person suddenly stops all activity. It may look like he or she is staring off into space or just has a blank look.
Staring episodes (which could be signs of absence or atypical absence seizures) Stiffening (which could be a sign of tonic seizures) Rhythmic shaking or twitching (which could be a sign of focal aware/simple partial seizures)
Signs at 2 months
According to the Autism Science Foundation, a person should talk with a doctor if a 2-month-old infant is not doing the following: responding to loud sounds. watching things as they move. smiling at others.
Newborn to 3 Months
Babies will also start smiling around this age, begin babbling, and grasp objects in their hands. Those who may be on the autism spectrum will mostly avoid any type of eye contact and will typically not smile or exhibit many facial expressions.
Young children may express more voiced than unvoiced laughter, as they haven't yet learned to purposely laugh. The test group of autistic children laughed just about as often as the non-autistic kids, but the autistic children's laughter was 98 percent voiced, while non-autistic children produced both types.
Although the exact cause of autism is still unknown, there is evidence to suggest that genetics play a significant role. Since autism is less prevalent in females, autism was always thought to be passed down from the mother. However, research suggests that autism genes are usually inherited from the father.
The behavioral symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often appear early in development. Many children show symptoms of autism by 12 months to 18 months of age or earlier. Some early signs of autism include: Problems with eye contact.
Although autism can be identified in children 18 months old or younger, detecting it in babies is often challenging because language and social skills have yet to develop. Identifying autism in young children and infants usually involves careful monitoring of the child's developmental milestones.