A study published online in February 2017 proposes that, based upon “thin slice judgments” that occur within seconds of meeting a person who has Autism Spectrum Disorder, neurotypical peers are less likely to pursue social interaction with that person.
“These patterns are remarkably robust, occur within seconds, do not change with increased exposure, and persist across both child and adult age groups.”
This study peaked my interest as a survivor of bullying who felt isolated early, from the first day of kindergarten onward. Were my schoolmates giving in to the prejudice that these “thin slice judgments” induced? And what sort of barrier do these tendencies pose today — when, for example, I hope to make a good impression during a job interview?
Authored by Noah J. Sasson, Daniel J. Faso, Jack Nugent, Sarah Lovell, Daniel P. Kennedy and Ruth B. Grossman, the report argues that consistency among findings across studies with different methodologies, “indicates that the foundation of these negative perceptions is complex and difficult to isolate.”
The authors add, “If our goal is to improve social interactions for individuals with ASD, it may therefore be equally important to educate others to be more aware and accepting of social presentation differences, rather than trying to change the many interwoven factors of self-presentation that mark the expressions of individuals with ASD as atypical.”
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