Summary: New research challenges the long-standing assumption that autistic people lack interest in social connection. The authors argue that many behaviors interpreted as social disinterest may have different causes, and they call for more respectful, evidence-based approaches to support and intervention.
Source: University of Virginia
A new paper led by the University of Virginia and published in the journal Behavioral and Brain Sciences disputes the widespread idea that people on the autism spectrum are not motivated to socialize.
The paper’s authors say their findings are intended to reshape how autistic people are understood and treated, and to encourage development of more effective and humane support strategies.
“We believe the most effective interventions will involve teaching both autistic and non-autistic people to recognize each other’s social signals, rather than insisting that autistics behave like non-autistics do,” said Vikram Jaswal, an associate professor of psychology.
The paper, titled “Being vs. Appearing Socially Uninterested: Challenging Assumptions about Social Motivation in Autism,” is coauthored by Nameera Akhtar, a professor of developmental psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. The authors confront a common explanatory account of autistic behavior — that it stems from diminished social motivation — and present alternatives grounded in autistic testimony and scientific reasoning.
“Our article challenges an influential account used both by scientists and by the public,” Jaswal explained. “That account treats many autistic behaviors as evidence of a lack of social interest. This interpretation contradicts the reports of many autistic people who describe longing for connection, and it ignores other plausible explanations for behaviors that are commonly seen as signs of social indifference.”
Jaswal and Akhtar examine four behaviors often interpreted as evidence of low social motivation, and offer alternative explanations that better align with autistic individuals’ own reports:
- Low levels of eye contact: Some autistic people avoid eye contact because maintaining gaze can make it difficult to process speech or concentrate. For some, looking away is a strategy to focus intensely on the conversation. “Ironically, not looking someone in the eye may mean they are trying very hard to pay attention and participate,” Akhtar said.
- Infrequent pointing: Reduced pointing or gesture use may reflect differences in communicative style or in how attention is directed and shared, not necessarily an absence of desire to communicate or connect.
- Motor stereotypies (repetitive movements): Repetitive movements can serve regulatory or self-soothing functions, helping individuals manage sensory input or emotional states rather than signaling lack of social interest.
- Echolalia (verbatim repetition of another’s words): Repeating words or phrases can be a meaningful form of participation or processing; it may be used to maintain engagement, to practice language, or to contribute to interaction in ways that do not match neurotypical expectations.
The authors stress that interpreting these behaviors solely as signs of diminished social motivation has shaped both research agendas and clinical practices in ways that can be harmful. When social behaviors are misinterpreted, interventions may focus narrowly on making autistic people appear more neurotypical instead of supporting authentic communication and mutual understanding.
Jaswal and Akhtar call for several changes in research and practice: taking autistic testimony seriously, investigating alternative explanations for behaviors, and recognizing unconventional or individual ways autistic people express social interest. They advocate for interventions that teach both autistic and non-autistic people to read and respond to each other’s social signals, creating more respectful, reciprocal interactions.
About this research
This paper, “Being vs. Appearing Socially Uninterested: Challenging Assumptions about Social Motivation in Autism,” was authored by Vikram K. Jaswal and Nameera Akhtar and published in the journal Behavioral and Brain Sciences. The work emphasizes the importance of re-examining foundational assumptions in autism science and practice, centering autistic voices, and broadening the range of explanations considered for common behaviors.
Abstract (summary)
Progress in psychological science can be limited by the starting assumptions researchers bring to their work. The authors argue that an influential account of autism assumes many behavioral characteristics reflect reduced social interest — an assumption contradicted by the testimony of numerous autistic individuals. They propose alternative explanations for four behaviors commonly taken as evidence of low social motivation: low eye contact, infrequent pointing, motor stereotypies, and echolalia. That assumption has had profound and often negative effects on how autistic people are studied and treated. Understanding and supporting autistic individuals requires questioning this assumption, listening to autistic testimony, considering alternative explanations for unusual behaviors, and investigating unconventional ways autistic people may show social interest. These steps are crucial for a more accurate, humane, and useful science of autism.