If someone asks me a difficult question, I may concentrate better if I am not looking at them.
This is what my DD says. She also will fiddle with things with her hands when asked something hard (mentally hard, or emotionally hard) or feeling confronted. To me, it does not come off well. However, I am her mother and am hyperattuned to her minor social issues. No one else has ever mentioned it to me about her.
When I asked her if she knew what I meant about feeling ignored if someone didn't look at her when she was talking, she said that it was not ideal, but specified that she didn't really care that much unless it was obvious the listener also was not paying attention because he/she did not answer or respond appropriately. She also pointed out that we frequently have good conversations in the car when we cannot look at each others' faces (true!)
This all sounds pretty ASD-ish, I admit, but some part of me also thinks--well, I am imposing my NT view of the world here or what?
