![]() In both these scenarios, they might fail to comfort each other and appreciate the response. Similarly, because the neurotypical person expresses their sadness in a different way from the autistic person, the autistic person might not recognise the neurotypical person’s sadness. Because this expression is different from what a neurotypical person may expect to see, they might not recognise that the autistic person is feeling sad. ![]() When feeling sad, for example, an autistic person might move their face into an expression that would not be used by most neurotypical people – per the video below. However, in general it seems that autistic and neurotypical faces may convey emotion differently. Of course, not all autistic people are the same and there will be some autistic people who make facial expressions that are really similar to neurotypical expressions. While researchers don’t yet know exactly what is different about the facial expressions produced by these groups, our review of the literature suggests that there may be differences in the appearance, frequency and duration of facial expressions. So why do neurotypical and autistic people struggle to read each other’s facial expressions? One reason could be that autistic and neurotypical people produce different facial expressions. The findings from two recent studies suggest that many neurotypical people find it difficult to read and interpret the facial expressions and body movements of autistic people. Since interactions are necessarily at least two-way, it’s important that we also think about how well neurotypical people read autistic facial expressions. Our newly published paper argues that this view ignores that social interactions are exactly that – an interaction between individuals. Historically, these difficulties have been framed as a characteristic of autism that leads to social problems. Many studies have shown that autistic people often have difficulties reading the facial expressions of neurotypical (non-autistic) people. In both cases, this could lead to less successful social interactions and greater social difficulty.Īccording to the National Autistic Society, autism (including Asperger syndrome) is a lifelong developmental condition that affects “how a person communicates with and relates to other people” and the world around them. And if you can’t tell that someone is angry with you from their expression, you may not apologise for your actions. If, for instance, you cannot read someone’s sad expression, you may not provide reassurance, words of comfort or a hug. If you cannot read someone’s facial expression, it could lead to social responses that are not socially advantageous, advisable or “correct”. Just think about a time when you said you were “fine”, but your facial expression said otherwise.īeing able to read someone’s facial expression is crucial for good interpersonal relations. If you only listen to what a person says and cannot read what their face is telling you, then you may only have half the story. The ability to read facial expressions is an essential part of nonverbal communication. It means we may need to re-think the idea that autistic people have difficulties with expressing their emotions and instead consider that non-autistic people may have trouble reading them. This could mean the “social difficulties” often associated with autism may, at least partly, result from differences in the facial expressions produced by autistic and non-autistic people. ![]() Autism researchers are starting to think that autistic and non-autistic faces may “speak a different language” when conveying emotion. ![]()
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