There are different theories that can help explain why social cues, body language, and non-verbal communication are so complex for individuals on the spectrum, but these explanations do little to explain why those with autism often struggle with other forms of social communication and the complexities of language. In general, one theory on the nature of missing non-verbal cues involves the natural inclination among children with autism to avoid eye and facial contact.
While we teach our children that it’s polite to look at another person when they are speaking to you, for children on the spectrum, doing so is incredibly uncomfortable and feels threatening. Research indicates that deficits in the ability to recognize expressions among patients with ASD may link to a heightened response.
Although most people learn to read faces intuitively and become ‘experts’ in recognizing cues during normal conversation, people on the spectrum avoid looking at the face as an adaptive strategy, due to increased activity in the amygdala. Put plainly, they are more likely to be agitated and to experience feelings of anxiety when making eye contact. This is because making eye contact is perceived as threatening in the brain, and while this is ‘overcome’ in most people depending on the context of the situation (eye contact is still socially threatening in many situations), people with ASD have a heightened reaction to direct eye contact.
Presumably, this cascades into a long series of other problems with missing facial cues, expressions, and gestures, because our ability to naturally intuit what another person is implying non-verbally often relies on a complete picture of their face. There are also hints that it’s a cyclical issue, wherein problems with facial recognition and processing lead to poorer social interactions, which further cause one to avert from social interaction and facial processing, deepening the issue.
Can Children with Autism Learn to Recognize Social Cues?
Methods of training facial recognition in people with other disorders exist but have not been applied in autism treatment. However, teaching children on the spectrum to try and make eye contact is often a part of applied behaviour analysis (ABA), as part of a greater series of interventions aimed at helping people with ASD develop the skills to better pick up on social cues. In the future, there may be a place of ‘face training’ in children and adults with ASD who have problems with social communication.
However, ABA is not a one-size-fits-all treatment. Some children respond better than others, and the rate of one’s progress is entirely subjective. Research shows that earlier intervention leads to better overall progress and more lasting success.
@John what are your thoughts since you interact more with kis with ASD at your school?