Overview

• PLOS One research analyzed 362 firsthand posts on WrongPlanet.net across 26 threads to explore autistic adults’ nonverbal communication challenges
• Participants described decoding eye contact, facial expressions and gestures in real time as a complex, mentally exhausting task
• These demands fuel the Double Empathy Problem of mutual misunderstanding that can heighten social anxiety and diminish quality of life
• Autistic adults reported coping by mimicking neurotypical behaviors, taking acting classes or preferring written and explicit communication
• Co-produced by autistic and non-autistic experts through AASPIRE, the study urges families, educators and clinicians to adopt clear language and allow extra processing time