When it comes to expressing emotions, autistic and non-autistic individuals might as well be speaking entirely different languages. This intriguing revelation comes from recent research that sheds light on the distinct ways in which these two groups convey their feelings through facial expressions—an insight that could clarify why misunderstandings often arise in emotional exchanges between them.
On January 19, 2026, a study conducted by researchers at the University of Birmingham unveiled significant differences in how autistic and non-autistic people showcase emotions through their facial movements. By employing advanced facial motion tracking technology, the team compiled an extensive database containing over 265 million data points detailing various emotional expressions such as anger, happiness, and sadness.
Published in the journal Autism Research, this study involved 25 autistic adults and 26 non-autistic adults who collectively generated nearly 5,000 distinct expressions. Each participant was asked to display angry, happy, and sad faces in two different scenarios: responding to specific sounds and while engaging in conversation. The results highlighted notable variations between the two groups; for instance:
- In expressing anger, autistic individuals predominantly utilized their mouths more than their eyebrows, contrasting with their non-autistic counterparts.
- When it came to happiness, those on the autism spectrum tended to exhibit smiles that were less pronounced and did not engage their eyes, a key aspect often associated with genuine joy.
- For sadness, autistic participants were found to raise their upper lips more than non-autistic individuals, resulting in a distinct downturned expression.
These findings suggest that what has frequently been viewed as challenges faced by autistic individuals may actually indicate a mutual difficulty in interpreting each other's emotional cues.
Moreover, the study identified a correlation between alexithymia—a condition commonly seen in autism characterized by difficulties in recognizing and articulating one’s own emotions—and the clarity of facial expressions. Autistic participants exhibiting signs of alexithymia demonstrated less defined expressions of anger and happiness, making them appear more ambiguous.
Dr. Connor Keating, the leading researcher from the University of Birmingham, now affiliated with the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford, remarked, "Our research indicates that not only do autistic and non-autistic individuals differ in the appearance of their emotional expressions, but they also vary in the fluidity of how these expressions are conveyed. These discrepancies help explain why individuals on the autism spectrum find it challenging to interpret expressions from non-autistic individuals, and vice versa."
Professor Jennifer Cook, a senior author of the study, emphasized, "The ways autistic and non-autistic individuals express emotions are distinct yet equally significant, akin to communicating in different languages. What has sometimes been perceived as difficulties on the part of autistic individuals could instead illustrate a reciprocal challenge in understanding each other's emotional signals. We are actively exploring this concept further, so stay tuned for updates."
This important research effort was generously funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) of the United Kingdom and the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme.
