AS and smiling

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Joined: 1 Jan 2006
Gender: Male
Posts: 716
Location: Somewhere west of where you are

14 Jul 2016, 10:05 pm

I have always smiled a half-smile, only on the left side of my face. I have no neurological problems that would be causing this. Could it really be only the right side of my brain telling me to smile, and feeling what it takes to smile? Anyone else have experience with this?

Don't everyone sit there not smiling at the same time now...

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Adamantus
Velociraptor

Joined: 2 Nov 2010
Gender: Male
Posts: 466
Location: England

15 Jul 2016, 6:23 pm

Maybe you're just not comfortable with smiling, I think this is a problem for a lot of people with Autism.

Soomander
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Joined: 25 Feb 2015
Posts: 177
Location: In front of a screen

16 Jul 2016, 12:30 am

Smiling is a very awkward action for me to do. I think it is partially because, like most Aspies, I rarely use facial expressions and my facial muscles become fatigued quite easily.

saxgeek
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16 Jul 2016, 4:11 pm

I find smiling to be awkward. I usually either have a straight face, or I'm just cracking up laughing so hard my face is about to explode. There doesn't seem to be much of a middle ground where I can smile. Sometimes I try to supress a laugh, and I end up with this strange smirk which looks like I'm about to puke.

watersfan
Emu Egg
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16 Jul 2016, 4:28 pm

If I attempt to smile politely, I think I creep people out. I've never been able to do it, I can laugh or smile if something makes me genuinely happy.

AnaHitori
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16 Jul 2016, 4:29 pm

Smiling makes my face hurt so I try to avoid it.

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LanguageMeterScholar
Blue Jay

Joined: 7 Jul 2016
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17 Jul 2016, 12:21 am

I don't seem to have problems smiling, but my smiling is often interprepeted as smugness and peopke don't appreciate it.

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I am a language teacher and amateur language scientist, I want to create a theory of language that can benefit autism spectrum persons as well as those with other neurological conditions. Communication with the NT world can be difficult, and I would love to hear what problems you have had trying to deal with such problems. If you want to talk about it please contact me.

goatfish57
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17 Jul 2016, 3:28 am

Sometimes, I practice my smile in front of a mirror

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Rdos: ND 133/200, NT 75/200

Not Diagnosed and Not Sure

HighLlama
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17 Jul 2016, 4:30 am

Soomander wrote:

Smiling is a very awkward action for me to do. I think it is partially because, like most Aspies, I rarely use facial expressions and my facial muscles become fatigued quite easily.

I have a similar experience. I also do the half-smile (if I'm smiling naturally), which people usually take as smirking.

amdedinboro
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker

Joined: 17 Apr 2016
Gender: Male
Posts: 70
Location: Lowell, OH

17 Jul 2016, 2:06 pm

My issue is trying to fake smiling. Like, if someone catches me off guard smiling I might just totally give them a blank stare in return, even if I feel like smiling back. Or, if I feel like I should be smiling but I'm not really enthusiastic about it, it feels like the muscles in my face get stiff and I can't really force a convincing reaction. I hate trying to take halfway decent selfies for this very reason XD

slw1990
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17 Jul 2016, 8:44 pm

I have a crooked smile too sometimes. I had it even more when I was a teenager.

EzraS
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18 Jul 2016, 1:03 am

I learned to put on a good smile by thinking of stuff that makes me feel really happy.

sunnyinaus
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Joined: 9 Jul 2016
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18 Jul 2016, 3:41 am

I have Resting b***h Face. I even got a smiley face tattoo to remind myself to smile.

GarTog
Snowy Owl

Joined: 19 Oct 2011
Age: 64
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Posts: 148
Location: UK

18 Jul 2016, 6:09 am

I seem to alternate between a silly smirk, a "snile" (snarling and smiling) and this thing when I smile but the tip of my tongue pokes out - better just to glare...

TheArronaut
Tufted Titmouse

Joined: 17 Jul 2016
Age: 34
Gender: Female
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18 Jul 2016, 6:31 pm

i've never had a default smile - it's always a conscious action, and while at this late stage of my life it's almost a reflex, i still have to sort of.... plan it out. It's the same way with my laughter, it never sounds the same twice

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Your neurodiverse (Aspie) score: 147 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 38 of 200
You are very likely neurodiverse (Aspie)

Official Diagnosis: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Level 1, without accompanying intellectual impairment. Specific Learning Disorder, With Impairment in Mathematics (Dyscalculia)

LupaLuna
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18 Jul 2016, 8:30 pm

I've had a lot of NT's comment about how beautiful my smile is at times, of course, that only happens when I feel genuine joy and happiness. I can't fake a convincing smile if my life depended on it, if I even try, people will think I'm creepy and just walk away. That said. I don't see this as being a problem at all, to put it simply "If I'm not happy, I don't smile.", its as simple as that. I will say that I don't have all that many happy moments in my life, and I wonder if that make it very hard to fake a smile because I don't have enough happy moments to put on a real smile for practice.

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