Weirded out facial expressions

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One common element that I've noticed through my growing up years was that a sizable percentage of the "normal population" gave me a facial expression that showed they were weirded out within the first one or two lines of dialogue, and would later avoid me or ignore me. Is this common to AS or some other neurological type?

Also, I noticed that other people tend to mirror your facial expressions, so I can surmise by observing others who interact with me (Customers, workers, etc.; those who seem less immediately reactive to 'weirdness', though I did notice it on one of my customers' face) that my facial expressions tends towards a flat facial expression, with short, unnatural-looking smiles here and there.

I recently conjectured I was NT because others suggested my vocal patterns were "normal" and I'm emotionally distraught by world events and I intuitively understand NT conventions, but there seems to be an unnaturalness about my regulation of my facial expressions that I have a hard time pinning down to NT-ness. So, what could it be?

Last edited by swbluto on 13 Aug 2011, 10:49 am, edited 1 time in total.

It could be would. My smile is never broad enough, too.

lol, thanks for catching that.

Are your smiles succinct and somewhat contrived looking?

http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/symptoms/ ... causes.htm

They list psychological or neurolopsychological causes of the 'flat affect' as...

Interestingly, there's no mention of schizo* disorders, like the schizoid PD or schizophrenia. Do those disorders really don't have the "flat affect"?

Anyway, assuming schizo* isn't a possibility, and I don't think depression weirds normal people out, I'm guessing it's either autism or aspergers related. But, if it were, I'd imagine there'd be aspies or auties on the board who'd relate so probably not...

Okay, so if this definitely DOESN'T apply to aspies, what psychological group would probably relate to this and where could I find them online?

I think is is possible that many people on the board haven't noticed this because they aren't able to read facial expressions or notice their own. Although it isn't exclusive to the AS population as you have discovered, a great portion of the AS population seems to experience both the flat affect and the weirded out facial expression response. I got it as a kid, and I see it sometimes when aspies I know talk to other NTs. It may be more common than you think.

I really have a problem managing and overthinking my expressions in groups, and I try at all costs to avoid the spaced out durrrrrrr look I unconsciously give off. This leads to me raising my eyebrows kind of like frylock in aqua teen or smiling too much in conversations when it isn't appropriate, and to giving off a weird vibe overall. I just cant give and take in casual conversations like NT's, my mind's going off on tangents and I never know when to join in. It's usually collective silence when/if I do.

I do this too. I think it is us overcompensating. Being so paranoid about not showing emotion, I show too much of the wrong one. I smile too much and too oddly, and nod when it isn't necesary, etc. I hate when people call me out on this. Awkward.

I also have that flat effect. I've had many people offline tell me that I look like a certain member of a certain band from long ago.

I do that too sometimes. Usually I'm pretty flattened. I've been likened to Ben Stein many times. Love that guy btw.. xD

Hmmm, this seems to be a keen observation, because I'm noticing that many only remember being likened to some kind of popular culture character or otherwise being "verbally called out". So I'm guessing that many aspies get the "weirded out" facial expression from others within the first or two lines of dialogue but aren't able to 'read it', so that's why many can't relate? Or maybe they just don't weird out other people...

Anyway, I haven't been likened to Ben Stein or anything like that, so maybe my facial expression isn't as flat as I think it is. It's definitely unusual, that's for sure, as others have confirmed. I heard unusual regulation of facial expressions also affects those with a language disorder so maybe that's my deal?

This x1000%. I NEVER notice or care what other people are doing or feeling. THAT is what having ASD is like for me. I cannot look at peoples faces because the pictures and details in a face overwhelm me. The fact that you are so aware of things and can study the human face like this is amazing to me just as it is amazing to you that I don't see things like this.

My face is flat, unless I'm stimming with it (contorting my eyes, etc.), which is a lot. I must look crazy. -_-