Autistic Brains Can Be Trained to Recognize Visual and Vocal Cues

June 22, 2007

To understand the meaning of a conversation, kids automatically do what adults do besides processing the meaning of words, they unconsciously read the expression on a person's face and listen to their tone of voice, then integrate that information with the context at hand to discern meaning, be it humor, anger, irony or straightforwardness. Individuals with autism typically don't do this. They often miss the subtle meanings conveyed by a person's face and tone of voice, and thus have trouble determining the communicative intent of others. Neuroimaging studies have backed this up, showing that individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) including autism, pervasive developmental disorder and Asperger's syndrome