Autistics more likely to watch people's mouths?

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I heard on a telly program that autistic people are more likely to watch people's mouths than to watch their eyes.

It's something I sort of noticed, but not really thought about in any sort of detail. If I watch someone's mouth it helps me to follow their words better.

Anyway, I was wondering has anyone else noticed the same?

I do,

Me too

Not really I watch they eyes as they mouths lie, your meant to take it all in at the same time. face / mouth / eyes / sound / body postion... As if you notice when someone is talking they eyes go a certain way when accessing memory or to lie or other stuff... which is why people get worried about you looking at their eyes.. I think also this might be why we don't look to try and cut out the fact we know they lieing...

Basicly I cheat the system by watching the eyes, but for people who can lie and access memory without moving they eyes is when a problem starts...

My eyes do not move when I am accessing or lieing or doing anything... just stiff eyes... I don't need to move them to do things... Only things that I can do with eyes is the basic stuff, lieing, accessing memory, anxiety... don't know if I know anything else after that... I go on peoples mouths when I think they happy but I don't know if it really is a happy one or its got a hidden meaning...

I agree... I get completely caught up in what the mouth is doing - that's where the sound is coming from!

Although, it may not be a bad thing to train yourself to watch the eyes - and the face as a whole (if you can interpret the complexity of it without being distracted by the individual pieces... not an easy job... there must be a book on this type of thing...)

Not sure. I have so little contact. I would say I do not look at people
when they or I talk usually.

I tend to watch peoples' mouths.

SAME HERE!! !! And it DOES sometimes help with some bad accents, etc...

Steve

yeah i do, but sometimes i regret it if they have bad teeth

I always thought it was strange that I could "hear" better with my glasses on(I am very near sighted)until I realized how much I lip read,especially when watching TV.I think for those of us who have some trouble with hearing words,this can help our focus?Does for me.

I HAVE done surveys on body language with a LOT of people, including outside my job, and they agree with me that it is BUNK! I can imagine full video, almost like I am THERE! I can literally be in another world. You couldn't tell by looking at my eyes. BESIDES, some peoples minds ARE switched!

HECK, they even had some fun with that on sliders. A parallel planet had people that were NORMALLY, but not always, wired backwards from those on earth, and those wired normally were left as happy dupes. Those wired backwards ended up almost like autistics. Some were idiots, but some were quirky, maybe off in their own world, but very intelligent.

I would HATE to be thought a liar just because I looked a certain way. BESIDES, sometimes I have to determine HOW to phrase something, WHAT facts to release, etc... Not really a lie, just not everything.

Steve

I, too, tend to look at the mouth. My Asperger's therapist was once saying about how she is amazed how Aspies don't use eye contact to get their messages because the eyes send so many vital signals. I said that it's all in the tone of voice. You can get what you need to just by hearing how they say something, and you don't need eyes for that. Anyway, yes, I usually look at the mouth or chin or above the eyes/forehead. I never really look directly in the eyes.
-OddDuckNash99-

Tone of voice can convey alot and also whether their voice wavers or they stress certain words. I also think looking at the mouth can help translate what someone is saying if you are having a conversation, but it is weird because it is not even what they say but just how they say it.

Wait.... theres Brits that don't have bad teeth! :-p. Sorry couldn't resist. Anyway yeah I do though I have been trying to look more around the eyes to show that I am trying to make good eye contact and all that.

yeah, i do,
maybe it's the vivid movement that attracts me.
for longer conversations i'll study everything (hands, ears, eyes, nose, cheek, shadow,
chin, the outer line, eyebrows, details like where exactly are wimpers attached to, etc)
in order to see what i could improve when making portraits.

Sorry steave what does Bunk mean over there, as Bunk Bed it is used here?