Some people with Autism Spectrum Disorder or ASD can recognize emotions while some are said to be difficult at this area. Would it be safe to say that insensitivity is just a result of a confused "emotion" being felt by one with the disorder?
There is an overlap between autism and alexythymia, the Scientific American says.
"Alexythimia is a condition defined by a difficulty understanding and identifying one's own emotions. People with high levels of alexithymia (which we assess with questionnaires) might suspect they are experiencing an emotion, but are unsure which emotion it is. They could be sad, angry, anxious or maybe just overheated. About 10 percent of the population at large - and about 50 percent of people with autism - has alexithymia."
The study made by the Scientific American suggests that not all people with ASD have alexithymia and vice versa. When an autistic person fails to be emphatic to others, then he or she has alexithymia. It is therefore important to take note that people in the spectrum should be naturally emphatic as long as they do not have alexithymia. This is the reason why some autism cases show recognition to emotions while some do not.
Individuals with ASD have difficulties with communication but a study from McGill Medical Journal also shows that their understanding is good and oftentimes superior over normal thinking people. For example in the field of music, those with ASD show normal and even superior abilities with some details in the music processing. Most even show strong preferences towards music. Dr. Istvan Molnar-Szakacs and team says that, "It is possible these varying abilities with different types of expressive communication may be related to a neural system referred to as the mirror neuron system (MNS)"
Music appeals strongly to people with ASD and therefore can respond to it positively as a therapy to the mind and body. A video of a Barista in Starbucks a few months ago has gone viral in youtube because of his different way of preparing the coffee orders. His name is Sam and he has autism. He dances when he works and makes coffee. When he got famous and went to the Ellen Degeneres' show, he was asked why he was doing that. Sam said that the music and the dancing make him concentrate better.
Aside from music, the sense of touch can also be a good therapy for people with ASD, according to a study in Harvard. Touch and music are products of and can produce emotions. People with ASD have no problem with emotions as long as there is no alexithymia . They feel you and they respond to your emotions to the best of their ability.
