Postcards From My Mind: Perspectives of Asperger's Syndrome

Communication

People who have a difficulty with the Theory of Mind may display the following characteristics:

1. May appear to have a blank affect (expression): think about what affect is for. The purpose of affect is to express to another person how you feel. Think about when you first saw the movie “Psycho”. Did you scream when Anthony Perkins pulled the shower curtain back and killed Janet Lee? If you were with another person, you probably displayed some affect. Now, the next time you were in the shower you probably thought about this scene and were slightly frightened – did you scream again? No, of course not. Affect is mostly for other people.

   Before I learned the Theory of Mind, sharing my emotions with others was not something that I took great pleasure in because I didn’t understand what the purpose was. Because I was oblivious to the fact that other’s had a different opinions and feelings than me, I assumed my feelings were the same as everyone else’s.

2. May not use or pick up on nonverbal language: Nonverbal language
   includes things like gestures, facial expressions, body posture, and tone of
   voice.

 

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