Shaping Social Eye Contact in Children With Autism Via Telehealth: A Parent‐Implemented Intervention

Lack of social eye contact is a common characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and can limit opportunities for social interaction and social learning. The current study examined a parent‐implemented shaping procedure delivered through telehealth to promote eye contact during naturalistic social play for two preschool‐aged children with ASD in India. The intervention was implemented without prompting or nonsocial reinforcers, instead relying on preferred social activities. Both children learned to make eye contact, of various durations, across different activities. Self‐reports from the participating parents, along with individualized indices of happiness observed in the children, indicate a high degree of social validity. The findings support and extend prior research on shaping without prompting, suggesting that socially maintained eye contact in children with ASD can develop through flexible, naturalistic methods implemented by parents with remote supervision. Limitations of the study and directions for future research are discussed.