Which statement best describes autism's impact on social interaction?

Which statement best describes autism's impact on social interaction?

• A. Autism affects only memory.
• B. Autism enhances motor skills.
• C. People with autism often have difficulty interpreting tone of voice, facial expressions, or others' emotions.
• D. Autism is unrelated to communication.

Answer: (C)

The key idea here is that autism often affects how people read and respond to social signals. Many individuals with autism have difficulty interpreting nonverbal cues like tone of voice, facial expressions, and others’ emotions. These cues usually guide how we understand what someone means and how we should respond in a conversation. When interpreting them is hard, social interactions can feel confusing, misread, or lead to responses that don’t fit the situation. That’s why this statement best describes autism’s impact on social interaction. The other ideas don’t fit because autism isn’t defined by memory more than by social communication differences, it doesn’t typically involve universally enhanced motor skills, and it is very much connected to communication in everyday life—reading cues and expressing or understanding needs are central challenges for many on the spectrum.

The key idea here is that autism often affects how people read and respond to social signals. Many individuals with autism have difficulty interpreting nonverbal cues like tone of voice, facial expressions, and others’ emotions. These cues usually guide how we understand what someone means and how we should respond in a conversation. When interpreting them is hard, social interactions can feel confusing, misread, or lead to responses that don’t fit the situation. That’s why this statement best describes autism’s impact on social interaction.

The other ideas don’t fit because autism isn’t defined by memory more than by social communication differences, it doesn’t typically involve universally enhanced motor skills, and it is very much connected to communication in everyday life—reading cues and expressing or understanding needs are central challenges for many on the spectrum.