Difficulties in relationships[edit]
Two traits sometimes found in AS individuals are
mind-blindness (the inability to predict the beliefs and intentions of others) and
alexithymia (the inability to identify and interpret emotional signals in oneself or others), which reduce the ability to be empathetically attuned to others.
[29][30] Alexithymia in AS functions as an independent variable relying on different neural networks than those implicated in
theory of mind.
[29][30] In fact, lack of Theory of Mind in AS may be a result of a lack of information available to the mind due to the operation of the alexithymic deficit.
[29][30]
A second issue related to alexithymia involves the inability to identify and modulate strong emotions such as sadness or anger, which leaves the individual prone to "sudden affective outbursts such as crying or rage".
[31][32][33] According to
Tony Attwood, the inability to express feelings using words may also predispose the individual to use physical acts to articulate the mood and release the emotional energy.
[34]