Unraveling the Link Between Deafness, Social Cues, and Autism Spectrum Disorder

New research suggests that the social struggles experienced by deaf individuals are likely not due to brain alterations but rather non-supportive environments. Neuroimaging studies comparing deaf and hearing participants during social tasks revealed that both groups use the same brain regions. However, deaf individuals show enhanced activation in areas associated with processing visual social cues, such as signing and lip reading. The findings debunk the myth that hearing impairment alters the brain's social circuits and highlight the importance of promoting sign language learning and providing visual cues for social inclusion.