{"h1":"Eye-Contact AbilityScore 200–300: Your Next Steps","faq":[{"a":"No. A score in this band points to a pattern worth exploring, not a diagnosis. Eye contact can emerge slowly for many reasons — temperament, language stage, attention or sensory profile. Only a qualified clinician, looking at the whole picture, can say more, and any diagnosis is formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre.","q":"Does a 200–300 Eye-Contact score mean my child has autism?"},{"a":"Gently encourage, never force. Get face-to-face at their eye level, follow what they enjoy, and pair looking with joy — songs, play, cuddles. Forcing eye contact can make connection feel stressful; warm, playful invitations work far better.","q":"Should I keep trying to make my child look at me?"},{"a":"A qualified Pinnacle clinician observes your child in play and gathers your everyday observations, reading eye contact alongside language, play, attention and connection. From there you receive a clear developmental profile and, if helpful, a gentle play-based plan.","q":"What happens at the assessment?"}],"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-s-eye-contact-abilityscore-is-200-300-what-are-the-next-steps","title":"Eye-Contact AbilityScore 200–300 — What Are the Next Steps?","entity":{"key":"eye-contact-toddler","kind":"ability","name":"Eye-Contact","slug":null},"lenses":[{"kind":"stakeholder","label":"Parent","value":"parent"},{"kind":"domain","label":"Social","value":"social"},{"kind":"intent","label":"Support","value":"support"},{"kind":"lifecycle","label":"Measure","value":"measure"},{"kind":"route","label":"Book-Assessment","value":"book-assessment"},{"kind":"score_band","label":"As 200 300","value":"as_200_300"},{"kind":"empowerment","label":"Early Clarity","value":"early_clarity"}],"parent":{"key":"abilities","label":"Abilities"},"related":[{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-s-eye-contact-abilityscore-is-500-600-what-are-the-next-steps","title":"Eye-Contact AbilityScore 500–600 — What Are the Next Steps?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-s-eye-contact-abilityscore-is-100-200-what-are-the-next-steps","title":"Eye-Contact AbilityScore 100–200 — What Next?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-s-eye-contact-abilityscore-is-0-100-what-are-the-next-steps","title":"Eye-Contact AbilityScore® — next steps for your child"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-s-eye-contact-abilityscore-is-300-400-what-are-the-next-steps","title":"Eye-Contact AbilityScore 300–400 — Next Steps"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-s-eye-contact-abilityscore-is-400-500-what-are-the-next-steps","title":"Eye-Contact AbilityScore 400–500 — Next Steps for Your Child"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-s-eye-contact-abilityscore-is-600-700-what-are-the-next-steps","title":"Eye-Contact AbilityScore 600–700 — Next Steps"}],"summary":"An Eye-Contact AbilityScore in the 200–300 band suggests eye contact is emerging more slowly than expected and is worth a closer, supportive look — it is not a diagnosis. The next step is a clinician-led assessment that reads eye contact alongside language, play and attention, followed by a gentle, play-based plan. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.","answer_md":"*A single number is never the whole story of your child — it's simply a starting point for the right kind of support.*\n\n## In short\nAn Eye-Contact AbilityScore in the 200–300 band tells us your child is finding it harder than expected to use eye contact to connect, share and respond — and that this is worth a closer, supportive look. It is **not a diagnosis** and not a verdict on your child's future. The next step is a clinician-led assessment to understand *why* eye contact is emerging slowly, followed by a gentle, play-based plan that builds connection at your child's own pace.\n\n## What this band means\nEye contact is one of the earliest ways children share attention — looking to you to show delight, to ask for help, or to check how you feel. A score in this band suggests your child may be using eye contact less often, more briefly, or less flexibly than is typical for their age. This can have many roots: a child's temperament, language stage, attention and sensory profile, or differences in social communication. The band points to a *pattern worth exploring* — it does not, on its own, name any condition.\n\n## Your next steps\n- **Book a clinician-led assessment.** A qualified Pinnacle clinician observes your child in play, gathers your everyday observations, and forms a complete developmental picture — eye contact is read alongside language, play, attention and connection, never in isolation.\n- **Keep simple notes at home.** When does your child look at you most — during cuddles, songs, a favourite toy, mealtimes? When is it hardest? These real-life moments help your clinician hugely.\n- **Build connection through play, not pressure.** Get face-to-face at your child's eye level, follow their interest, and pair looking with joy — never force eye contact.\n- **Follow the plan together.** If support is recommended, it is usually warm, play-based therapy that grows shared attention and back-and-forth connection step by step.\n\n## The Pinnacle way\nAbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional — never from an app, a number alone, or an online form. Across [our network](/) of 70+ centres and 700+ therapists, your child receives a precise, [clinician-administered developmental profile](/ask/what-is-the-abilityscore-and-how-is-it-calculated) and, where helpful, gentle [speech and social-communication therapy](https://www.pinnacleblooms.org/top-speech-therapy-center-india-proven-improvement-rate) that builds connection at their pace.\n\n## Trusted sources\nAmerican Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org) guidance on social and developmental milestones; CDC developmental monitoring resources on shared attention and early communication; American Speech-Language-Hearing Association guidance on social communication.\n\n**Next step —** Turn this score into a clear plan. [Book an assessment with a Pinnacle clinician](/ask/what-is-the-abilityscore-and-how-is-it-calculated).\n\nThis is general information, not a diagnosis — individual assessment and diagnosis require an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.","canonical":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/my-child-s-eye-contact-abilityscore-is-200-300-what-are-the-next-steps","editorial":{"reviewed_at":"2026-06-11T20:12:18.613642+00:00","reviewed_by":null,"developed_by":"SETU Consortium · Pinnacle Blooms Network"},"alternates":[{"href":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/my-child-s-eye-contact-abilityscore-is-200-300-what-are-the-next-steps","lang":"en","indexable":true}],"dimensions":[{"key":"abilities","label":"Abilities"}],"meta_title":"Eye-Contact AbilityScore 200–300: Next Steps","meta_robots":"index, follow, max-image-preview:large","everyday_tip":"Get down to your child's eye level and follow their interest — pair looking with delight (a song, a tickle, a favourite toy) and let eye contact come naturally, never on demand.","published_at":"2026-06-10T11:40:00.188566+00:00","reading_paths":[{"key":"understand","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"what-is-eye-contact-in-child-development","title":"What is Eye-Contact in child development?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-does-eye-contact-represent-developmentally-and-when-is-a-delay-in-it-clinically-significant","title":"What Eye-Contact Represents and When Delay Is Clinically Significant","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"which-icf-functioning-domain-does-eye-contact-map-to-in-early-childhood","title":"Which ICF Functioning Domain Does Eye-Contact Map To in Early Childhood?","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"Understand the subject","total":3},{"key":"signs","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"what-does-a-delay-in-eye-contact-mean-for-my-child","title":"What a Delay in Eye-Contact Means for Your Child","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"Recognise signs & concerns","total":1},{"key":"assess","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"how-is-eye-contact-assessed","title":"How is Eye-Contact assessed?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-is-eye-contact-scored-on-the-abilityscore","title":"How is Eye-Contact scored on the AbilityScore?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-is-in-the-amber-zone-for-eye-contact-what-does-that-mean","title":"Eye contact in the amber zone: what it means","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-is-in-the-green-zone-for-eye-contact-what-does-that-mean","title":"What a green zone for eye contact means","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-is-in-the-red-zone-for-eye-contact-what-does-that-mean","title":"What a Red Zone for Eye-Contact Means","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-does-an-abilityscore-of-0-100-in-eye-contact-mean-for-my-child","title":"What does an AbilityScore in Eye-Contact mean for my child?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-does-an-abilityscore-of-100-200-in-eye-contact-mean-for-my-child","title":"What does an AbilityScore of 100–200 in Eye-Contact mean for my child?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-does-an-abilityscore-of-200-300-in-eye-contact-mean-for-my-child","title":"What does an AbilityScore of 200–300 in Eye-Contact mean for my child?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-does-an-abilityscore-of-300-400-in-eye-contact-mean-for-my-child","title":"What does an AbilityScore of 300–400 in Eye-Contact mean for my child?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-does-an-abilityscore-of-400-500-in-eye-contact-mean-for-my-child","title":"What does an AbilityScore of 400–500 in Eye-Contact mean for my child?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-does-an-abilityscore-of-500-600-in-eye-contact-mean-for-my-child","title":"What does an AbilityScore of 500–600 in Eye-Contact mean for my child?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-does-an-abilityscore-of-600-700-in-eye-contact-mean-for-my-child","title":"What does an AbilityScore of 600–700 in Eye-Contact mean for my child?","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"Understand assessment","total":17},{"key":"therapy","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-s-eye-contact-abilityscore-is-300-400-what-are-the-next-steps","title":"Eye-Contact AbilityScore 300–400 — Next Steps","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-s-eye-contact-abilityscore-is-600-700-what-are-the-next-steps","title":"Eye-Contact AbilityScore 600–700 — Next Steps","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-s-eye-contact-abilityscore-is-400-500-what-are-the-next-steps","title":"Eye-Contact AbilityScore 400–500 — Next Steps for Your Child","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-s-eye-contact-abilityscore-is-100-200-what-are-the-next-steps","title":"Eye-Contact AbilityScore 100–200 — What Next?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-s-eye-contact-abilityscore-is-500-600-what-are-the-next-steps","title":"Eye-Contact AbilityScore 500–600 — What Are the Next Steps?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-s-eye-contact-abilityscore-is-0-100-what-are-the-next-steps","title":"Eye-Contact AbilityScore® — next steps for your child","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-is-in-the-amber-zone-for-eye-contact-what-should-we-do-next","title":"Eye Contact in the Amber Zone — Your Next Step","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-is-in-the-green-zone-for-eye-contact-what-should-we-do-next","title":"Green Zone for Eye Contact: Your Next Steps","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-is-in-the-red-zone-for-eye-contact-what-should-we-do-next","title":"Red Zone for Eye Contact: Your Next Step","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-s-eye-contact-abilityscore-is-700-800-what-are-the-next-steps","title":"Eye-Contact AbilityScore 700–800 — next steps","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-s-eye-contact-abilityscore-is-800-900-what-are-the-next-steps","title":"Eye-Contact AbilityScore 800–900 — Next Steps","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-s-eye-contact-abilityscore-is-900-1000-what-are-the-next-steps","title":"Eye-Contact AbilityScore 900–1000 — Next Steps","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"Explore therapy & support","total":16},{"key":"home","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-support-my-child-s-eye-contact","title":"How can I support my child's Eye-Contact?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-therapy-improve-my-child-s-eye-contact","title":"How can therapy improve my child's eye-contact?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-simple-daily-activities-help-build-a-child-s-eye-contact","title":"What simple daily activities help build a child's Eye-Contact?","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"At home & in everyday life","total":3}],"what_to_watch":"Watch how often and how comfortably your child looks at you to share joy, ask for help or check your reaction — during cuddles, songs, play and meals — and note when looking is easiest and when it is hardest, so your clinician has real-life detail.","authority_links":[{"url":"https://www.healthychildren.org","label":"AAP HealthyChildren.org — social and developmental milestones"},{"url":"https://www.cdc.gov/child-development","label":"CDC — developmental milestones and monitoring"},{"url":"https://www.asha.org","label":"ASHA — social communication guidance"}],"last_reviewed_at":"2026-06-10T11:40:00.188566+00:00","meta_description":"An Eye-Contact AbilityScore of 200–300 is a starting point, not a diagnosis. Here are the warm, clinician-led next steps to support your child's connection","related_materials":[],"related_techniques":[]}