University of Portsmouth Jul 11 2025 Imagine having a conversation where every gesture and glance feels like a test. You're juggling eye contact, facial expressions, and tone of voice, all while trying to keep up with the words. You might miss something, or someone might misread you.  In a new study, published in PLOS One , autistic adults describe the intense mental effort it takes to navigate nonverbal communication (NVC).  Researchers reviewed 362 firsthand accounts on the online forum