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Facial expression control

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Aurore
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27 Oct 2009, 10:43 am

Does anyone else have this problem?

I can't raise my eyebrows independently of one another or manipulate my face the way other people can. My normal expressions are unusual - usually exaggerated in some way - but I can't consciously change them. My husband is an actor and he thinks it's fascinating that I can't do with my face what he can with his. Is this an AS/autistic thing, or am I just weird?


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progressiverocker
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27 Oct 2009, 10:57 am

My right eyebrow can go up a little bit before the left catches. Barely noticable. My left eyebrow can't go up at all w/o the right one going with. Its all or nothing for me. And i've spent hours "practicing" but to no avail.

I can manipulate the left side of my face pretty well. The right side doesn't respond well. For example, I can't wink with my right eye. I think this is pretty normal though. But at least I can wink, even though I never do.



Aurore
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27 Oct 2009, 11:18 am

progressiverocker wrote:
My right eyebrow can go up a little bit before the left catches. Barely noticable. My left eyebrow can't go up at all w/o the right one going with. Its all or nothing for me. And i've spent hours "practicing" but to no avail.

I can manipulate the left side of my face pretty well. The right side doesn't respond well. For example, I can't wink with my right eye. I think this is pretty normal though. But at least I can wink, even though I never do.


I can't wink at all - the opposite eye always closes at least halfway when I try. And then sometimes instead of blinking, it comes out as a defective wink as well. I have no idea why.


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progressiverocker
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27 Oct 2009, 11:29 am

When you wink do your eyes tend to look at the direction of where you are winking?

If I wink with my left eye, i can look straight while winking.

If I wink with my right eye, my left eye looks straight at my nose.



Aurore
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27 Oct 2009, 11:32 am

When I try to do it I always look at my nose. Trying to look straight seems to make it more likely for the other eye to close entirely. I wonder if it has to do with the muscles?


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Vyn
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27 Oct 2009, 1:04 pm

Has everything to do with muscle control. It's on the same precept as being able to do the "Spock" hand thing or flipping your tongue over. It's something you can learn to do with practice, at least I managed to be able to spread my fingers in any combination on either hand though when I first tried I couldn't do it at all. Couldn't wink either, though I've learned to do it with both eyes easily now.

Still can't for the life of me get one eyebrow to raise without the other though. Been trying for years, don't think I'll ever get it. Can't whistle either lol


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Sati
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27 Oct 2009, 2:25 pm

I can wink both eyes but I can't raise one eyebrow. I think have good control over my facial expressions, but people often say I look annoyed/serious/concentrating hard when I'm just being normal :?



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27 Oct 2009, 7:12 pm

Aurore wrote:
Does anyone else have this problem?

I can't raise my eyebrows independently of one another or manipulate my face the way other people can. My normal expressions are unusual - usually exaggerated in some way - but I can't consciously change them. My husband is an actor and he thinks it's fascinating that I can't do with my face what he can with his. Is this an AS/autistic thing, or am I just weird?


That's part of the non-verbal communication problem that you get on the spectrum. I have alternated between Jim Carrey rubberface and no more expressive than Alfred Hitchcock all my life.