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Aspergians and their own body language

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Sparhawke
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30 Oct 2011, 12:11 am

This thought/question popped into my head as I was making a cup of tea amongst other things, I have been watching and reading about body language now for almost two decades and I was wondering since I have little contact with other aspergians if our body language is significantly different to that of NTs or if it is so innate in humans anyway that it cannot be over-ridden?

I guess as well as some social talents I have picked up over the years it is hard to tell whether I am or not, if my body language was completely inappropriate it would be easy.

I am asking, have we learnt the NT way of body language, or did we always have it?



btbnnyr
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30 Oct 2011, 12:32 am

I was posting about this just now in another thread.

Quote:
In terms of non-verbal cues, NTs definitely have deficits in non-verbal processing if the non-verbal cues of autistics are set as the standard.

For example, when I make and hold eye contact with someone, what I am thinking is that I want that person to go away and leave me alone. This cue is always interpreted as me wanting to the other person to stay and talk to me.

When I am writing on my computer and stimming, that means that I can be interrupted, but I will be somewhat annoyed. When I am writing on my computer and not stimming, that means that I cannot be interrupted at this time, not at all, and interruption may lead to meltdown. When I am staring into space and not stimming, that means that I can be interrupted, but interrupting me at that point is like waking me up from an awesome dream.


So I think that yes, autistics do have an autistic pattern of body language that corresponds to autistic patterns of thoughts and feelings, and that these patterns are as non-intuitive for NTs as NT patterns are for autistics.

Another thing I have noticed is that my normal default face is often interpreted as "sad" or "depressed" by NTs, such as my mother, trying and failing to intuit my emotional state.



sMeow
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30 Oct 2011, 3:15 am

Quote:
Another thing I have noticed is that my normal default face is often interpreted as "sad" or "depressed" by NTs, such as my mother, trying and failing to intuit my emotional state.



Same for me. When I was at school, teachers thought that I wasn't interested etc...

+1 to btbtnnyr, Aspies have their own body languages I think.

Meow.



Fragmented
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30 Oct 2011, 3:44 am

According to people who CAN read body language, it's very difficult to read Aspies in general.

I'm sure we have our own set of body languages, but I suspect they're probably idiosynchratic, and probably hard to interpret.

People always think that I don't like what they're talking about because I guess I sound/look sad or uninterested by what they're saying, but I'm just trying to comprehend what they said and figure out my response, especially if it's a tough decision. Clearly sMeow and btbtnnyr know what I'm saying. I guess that's pretty common. >.>


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TB
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30 Oct 2011, 4:53 am

for sure, and i am annoyed that this is overlooked. Its always treated like it is one way, aspies are the ones unable to read others and nothing being said about others reading aspies body language. I think this leads people to the conclusion that nts can read aspies just fine. Its this feeling i get from people that know i am an aspie. I think they feel like they have an advantage in reading my body when i cant read theirs. Which leads to many wrong judgements about my character etc, which is annoying because people do not like to make changes to a mindset that they have had for decades (i can read other peoples body accurately without second guessing myself).



stumbelina
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30 Oct 2011, 9:48 am

I've been informed on a couple of occasions that "I am very hard to read"



Uhura
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30 Oct 2011, 11:07 am

I think I am hard to read in some situations. I have a tendency to look upset when I'm not. But it is worse around certain people, bigger groups of people and other differences in situations. That is a big disadvantage on Christmas or other times when given something. Because I can love the gift and not look it, as well as it showing when I don't really like it.