Can people with Aspergers have exaggerated body language?
Hello,
I am new in the community and I have been wondering if I am on the spectrum for a while now. What makes me think I am on the spectrum is multiple factors, such as: issues with social interaction, which I guess is because I have a tendency to talk too much about a certain interest without really regarding the listener, though I really do try to suppress my urge to talk about it every second and there is also the sensory issues and stimming, among other things. Honestly if these things didn't impact my life, I wouldn't mind them too much. So, I have noticed that many people in the spectrum struggle with body language and tone as well as with prolonged eye contact, for me, it's quite the opposite, my body language and tone are overly expressive as well as my eye contact being overly intense, to the point in which I get a lot of comments about it.
So, can an Aspie have overly exaggerated body language?
(I'm sorry if my English isn't on point, it's not really my first language.)
I am diagnosed with autism am generally quite expressive and eccentric most of the time. It's a learned behavior though, and if I am doing something else as I talk then my voice tends to become monotone and my face stops expressing emotion because I can't focus on keeping up the act. Are you the same way?
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Also known as MarsMatter.
Diagnosed with Asperger's, ADD, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder in 2004.
In denial that it was a problem until early 2016.
Deviant Art
I'm not really sure if it's a learned act for me, but I do stop being expressive when the conversation bores me but by that point I probably have already ditched whoever I was talking to
Now that I think about it, my voice does tend to become monotonous at times, usually when I am doing something else, but that's not very often.
_________________
EQ/SQ: 4/65
AQ: 37
Your neurodiverse (Aspie) score: 177 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 47 of 200
You are very likely neurodiverse (Aspie)
"Pick a flower on Earth and move the farthest star."
~ Paul Dirac
I believe that for most people voice inflection and expressing emotion is something that comes so naturally that it happens even when they are focusing on something, and since it doesn't come naturally to autistic people we have to learn it. It can never be learned by us well enough for it come as naturally to us as it does to others though, even if it is subconscious most of the time. Someone else asked something similar a while ago here and a rather large number of aspies are very expressive, it's not uncommon at all. One aspie described herself as being like "a hyper 5 year old on a sugar rush" most of the time.
In my case I actually have a bit of trouble processing language and one tactic I learned to buy myself time to think about what to say is by putting a lot of emphasis on some words which also has the awesome effect of making me sound more authoritative and charismatic. My point is that developing stuff like this is often a necessity for us for various reasons, and that's why it's so common.
About the eye contact thing, I actually rarely make eye contact and when I do it feels really weird and I have trouble paying attention to what the other person is saying, which is a very common thing among autistic people. If I do make eye contact though then I don't glance away periodically as most people seem to do, so it is a bit intense. It's not very common for an aspie to make eye contact, but when it does happen it's generally more of an intense stare.
_________________
Also known as MarsMatter.
Diagnosed with Asperger's, ADD, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder in 2004.
In denial that it was a problem until early 2016.
Deviant Art
This would make sense to me as well. I too am relatively new to the aspie world and I've noticed that I have a tendency to go back and forth between having good days and bad days. Depression also runs in my family so the "bad" days thing is more of a reference to that than anything but I digress. Anyways, on my good days I can have very high energy levels and have somewhat of a child-like attitude to my behavior. Which doesn't necessarily reflect my age. Most days I'm somewhere in between so I don't have great need as of yet to control it mainly because it doesn't impact my life in any sort of negative way. I am still trying to figure it out anyway. Which is what brought me here.
I speak very loudly when I get passionate about a discussion and I feel like I move my arms about like a conductor.
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I'm sailing across Spectrum Sea, in my little boat.
The waters of the port were choppy. After I set off, there was a long, massive storm.
Years later, however, the sea calmed. I'm still on tranquil sea, but I'll never reach the Neurotypical Beach.
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