Fordham Graduate School of Education fifth-year school psychology Ph.D. student Nathan T. Kline was recently accepted into the Journal of Nonverbal Behavior for his research study, “Young Adults with Autism May Possess Typical-Level Skills in Identifying Emotions from Person-in-Context Images.” Along with the acceptance letter, Kline received a note from the editor recognizing the value of his study as well as his diligence. Kline works with professor Fran Blumberg, Ph.D.—a developmental psychologist in the Counseling program—on his research.
Kline’s current research is grounded in the belief that people with autism possess alternative processes, as opposed to functional deficits. Kline is presently uncovering these processes in how people with autism perceive others’ emotions. Findings from his publication show that young adults with autism were better at identifying others’ emotions when contextual body language and environments were present than when only facial expressions were visible. While previous research has indicated that people with autism show deficits in emotion identification compared to neurotypical peers, Kline’s study reveals that participants with autism performed as well as neurotypical participants on images showing people in context, underscoring the importance of extra-facial visual information and the possibility of alternative processes among people with autism.
Kline’s work is deeply personal, stemming from his own experiences as a person with autism. In reviewing autism research literature, he was struck by the overwhelmingly negative framing in most studies, with findings often highlighting deficits compared to neurotypical individuals. Wanting a different portrayal, Kline aims to explore how people with autism function through alternative processes that support successful functioning, even if it looks different from neurotypical individuals. Speaking about his research, Kline says, “To be able to pursue this line of research at this level is a great honor. So many people with autism struggle to reach their full potential because the neurotypical world creates roadblocks and seeks conformity through well-meaning ‘treatments.’ As a member of the autism community, contributing firsthand knowledge to autism research is a privilege I don’t take lightly. I expect to dedicate my career to improving understanding of autism and enhancing autistic experiences.”
This content was contributed by Leah McKirgan.
