People can see my facial expressions from SPACE!

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I keep reading that people with Aspergers aren't good at showing facial expressions or using gestures and speak in a monotone voice, and it is really getting on my nerves. I know that no case is typical but the way they talk you'd think that it was. I am actually quite good at non-verbally showing how I feel. My mother once told me I would go through a bunch of different facial expressions in only a few seconds. Of course, I may have learned how to do this because as a kid there must be a million kid shows, songs and books that show feelings and emotions. On the other hand, I had a hard time reading expressions in other kids faces. Also I am quite expressive when I speak. I used to be TOO expressive sometimes. For years I had a habit of talking too loudly in public, especially when I got excited. Somehow I learned to control my volume. Before my diagnosis I used to be really talkitive and go on and on about things that only I was interested in. I don't do that as much now. But anyway, I don't want anyone to think that all people with Aspergers talk like or act like robots or something.

Aspergers features irregular expression. This includes over-the-top "gauche" facial expressions (as well as "flat" expression), and problems modulating voice (including both talking too quietly and talking to loudly) are common.

So far as I can recall, this is explained in the expanded text section of DSM-IV. Stereotypes are indeed unhelpful and generally based not so much on the most common traits, but on the traits that stick out most to the common observer.

I'm told I sounded like a robot until my midteens. From what my parents say, Gir and Data sounded more human. My mum says she worked with me religiously that now Temple Grandin sounds more autisic than me. I wish someone would explain to me why having a "flat effect" or no "inflection" in one's voice is such a bad thing.

My parents also say that you could tell I was autistic from photographs of me becuase I had a "blank" look in my eyes and my smiles were always forced. Why is it required that one must smile in a photograph?

I also couldn't "rotate" my feet and couldn't go down stairs with out having to turn sideways. I remember being in occupational therapy to try and "correct" it. The insurance was always changing and any so-called "therapy" I had was never consistiant. I gave up trying to "correctly" go down stairs and have to turn sideways to go down them. People are too preoccupied with going up and down the stairs themselves to notice and even if they did why is that such a bad thing?

Yeah, I'm crazy expressive too. Makes people think that I am feelings things way stronger than a actually am. Makes sense though, if you can only see the extremes in emotion and not the subtle stuff you will mimic what you see!

I have a very expressive face but its very at work, sometimes for amusement, I facially act out a wide range of emotions. It has alot of credibility.

When I saw that title I thought you saw yourself on the googe earth street view. What with the whole "from SPACE" thing.

I think I'm expressive, well I do exaggerate some facial expressions and it's usually a concious decision, like "well I'm going to make confused/shocked/amused face now *does face*" I only started doing that a few years ago because they're the expressions I have to do because that's the right reaction to what that person said. I don't know what it looks like to them but to me it feels really over the top like I'm pulling a weird face.
My voice isn't all that expressive unless I'm really excited then it goes high and loud and fast.

I think the only face I ever make is intrigue (eyebrows raised, frowny face). Of course, I smile when I'm amused, but never on cue. I hate smiling when there's no reason to. I never smile for pictures. Making facial expressions for others' benefit just feels fake. I feel the same about dancing. Nothing in my head registers that kind of body movement as an enjoyable experience. More like a silly one.