Different way of reading emotions

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NTs primary use the face (esp. the eyes) to read emotions. However, I read emotions a little differently than NTs do. I tend to look at body language and tone of voice more than I do the face (though that comes into it).

Also, I tend to read real-life emotions better than emotions in movies or pictures (by actors) for some reason. I fail miserably on any emotion tests online, but I'm okay in real life. Other people tell me so too.

Anyone else like this?

I'm like this too. I particularly listen to the voice. I have a lot of musical training, which means I am very sensitive to the body states that produce certain effects on voices.

Edited for grammatical error. My spelling and grammar is going to hell, I don't know what is happening to me.

I use changes in the tone of voice primarily a lot. That may be true for many of us for whom hyperacusis privileges our sense of hearing to discern changes in sound, and may represent a form of hyper-ability.

Also, because sound waves travel so quickly, this hyperacusis function for those that have it probably operates as a much faster way of receiving information than eye gaze, and possibly eye gaze is far more subjective.

The possibility of these kinds of obscured positive talents in the ASD population seem either not to occur to, or not interest NT researchers.

My guess is that the phenomenon is real for a percentage of the spectrum.

PS - like the poster before me I also had musical training and this may have been another factor which interacted to refine signal detection skills and innate abilities in respect of tone, frequency and pitch perception, as well as matching tones and inflections with specific emotional states. (Thanks for opening this thread OP).