Recognition...

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In psychology an intresting point was brought up....about how a lot of people on the autism spectrum have trouble recognizing facial expressions and such and have to be taught using pictures and such.

However I don't have trouble identifying that in pictures...in fact it is quite easy, but IRL I just tend not to percieve things like that.....its not that I can't recognize it more like a lot of times I just don't focus on it so my brain does not process it.


So I guess I am wondering if this maybe points to something other than AS, or if it is possible with people on the spectrum to have different variations of difficulties they face in social interaction?

People vary a lot in their traits, those with AS included. Some lack classic symptoms, which is why diagnostic criteria say something like one or more traits from list A and one or more from list B, etc.

I personally don't have much difficulty rating expressions, according to my self testing results using a Baron-Cohen test, but I have a terrible time catching on to hints and subtle body language. I don't notice them, but sometimes I notice them easily but.. I just don't have a clue what it's supposed to mean. It's lke that odd feeling when you think someone just exchanged glances about some private joke or something and you're just left clueless. I apparently don't have good body language or use proper facial expressions or intonation.

For me I tend either not to notice facial expressions, or to see a facial expression but just to notice it in terms of irrelevant movements (e.g. he has brought his eyebrows down and narrowed his eyes) and to continue on as if I shouldn't change what I'm doing or saying. This has caused me problems in life but since being diagnosed I understand better and try to work on it.

For me it's kind of a mixed bag. I can read people unconsciously, but not with precision. I can tell if someone is interested in talking to me (or pretending to be), but I have no idea how to tell if someone is lying or not.

I never had to be taught social skills like many with AS, but I never quite fully learned on my own either. I have the basics down naturally, it's just the subtle things that go unnoticed.

I read some expressions but not nearly all. I live with it. I don't even know where to start in trying to work it out.