I don't talk about this much, but my facial expressions are very limited in range/intensity. When I'm having a conversation, I'm always very conscious of what my face is doing and trying to make my face match what I'm feeling as well as conveying interest and friendliness. (1/6)

This takes a LOT of effort, and is one of the many reasons I prefer communicating in a text-based format. So when I see people make fun of someone for having a flat affect (the clinical term for a lack of expressiveness) or associate it with traits like dishonesty, that is (2/6)

Not only deeply hurtful to me but further marginalizes autistic people. A LOT of autistic traits are associated with dishonesty (i.e. fidgeting, lack of eye contact) & this is so so ableist. Additionally, we are often seen as cold, robotic, and unfeeling when this couldn't (3/6)

Be further from the truth. Something happened to me a while back that I didn't want to make a big deal out of at the time but after talking to an autistic friend I realized how ableist it was; I pointed out that something a mutual said was ableist and, after becoming (4/6)

Hostile in response, the person blocked me and then some other people (including one I used to be friendly with) joined them in mocking my PFP because I "even look judgy". I only know because some other friends sent screenshots to me and honestly... I wish they hadn't (5/6)

Because that really hurt. Facial expressions do not come naturally to me, and although I am usually able to fake them (I think) somewhat convincingly, many autistic people physically cannot. So please think twice before you comment on someone's facial expression. (6/6)