Facial recognition skills

[Fluttershy]

Who else has issues with this?

I don't have problems with people I see regularly, but if someone I don't see regularly shows up somewhere I don't expect them to (like at my work), I blank out on who they are. I still recognize faces as familiar but I can't connect them to names. Or sometimes I do but I get so anxious I'm going to be wrong.
Does anyone know of any treatments or good coping skills for this?

 

[Keigan]

Focus and practice and patience with yourself.

 

[smnmy]

i am terrible at remembering names, and feel especially awkward introducing people to others! Sometimes I'm just open about and say something like 'look, i'm really sorry, i know I've met you before, but I'm really bad with names, what's your name again?' With faces it's not so easy. It sometimes takes me 2 or 3 times before I'm really sure I recognise someone, especially in different contexts as you say. Otherwise I might just think to myself 'oh that person looks a bit like so-and-so's friend, or they look strangely familiar. If there are people you need/want to remember you could try to remember something else that's distinctive about that person - i know of one autistic who uses the kind of shoes people wear to remind them who someone is.

 

[Hopeless_Aspie_Guy]

Sounds like face-blindness to me.

 

[Peatsmoke]

Yep, that's me, too. I never recognise people on the street, unless they say "Hi!" or something, and then I have to frantically search my brain, trying to remember where I've seen them before, how I know them, etc. Sometimes I get it after 10 seconds, sometimes not at all. I cope with it by not addressing people by name very much (actually I'm uncomfortable using names, not sure why...), and by asking very general questions, hoping they'll give me some clue about their identity.

 

[smnmy]

...I cope with it by not addressing people by name very much (actually I'm uncomfortable using names, not sure why...)

Of course! - i do this too, it feels a bit weird sometimes but I do it all the time, even if I know their name I don't use it. Sometimes people at work say 'hi Simon' and I'm thinking 'who are you, how do you know my name?' (heh!), but I just say 'Hi' back obvs.

 

[Peatsmoke]

Of course! - i do this too, it feels a bit weird sometimes but I do it all the time, even if I know their name I don't use it. Sometimes people at work say 'hi Simon' and I'm thinking 'who are you, how do you know my name?' (heh!), but I just say 'Hi' back obvs.

Hmm... I wonder if this is an Aspie thing? Anyone else not like addressing people by name?

 

[kay]

I hate using people's names, too. I rarely even call my boyfriend by name. And I hate when people use my name. And I don't recognize people easily unless I know them well. It's rarely much of a problem unless they approach me and expect me to know who they are. Otherwise, if someone looks familiar but I'm not sure, I just hide.

 

[Fluttershy]

I used to hate calling people by name too. It was a combination of it just feeling weird, and that huge irrational fear that it's not really them.
Now I'm a bit better with it with people I see regularly, but I never do it with strangers. It still feels weird.

 

[Raven Foxx]

I cannot stand calling people by name. It makes me uncomfortable.

 

[EditTim]

I'm awful with names, so when I find out what someones name is, I use it all the time to drill it into my head. I'm having to do this a lot lately since I've started a new job with 50+ new faces.

... I never recognise people on the street, unless they say "Hi!" or something, and then I have to frantically search my brain, trying to remember where I've seen them before, how I know them, etc. Sometimes I get it after 10 seconds, sometimes not at all. I cope with it by not addressing people by name very much... and by asking very general questions, hoping they'll give me some clue about their identity.

This is me too, the face recognition thing. Particularly in a different context.
It's very unsettling to me and makes me think I'm losing my mind. Doesn't help that my mother died from Alzheimer's, and was likely familial early onset, which means (if true) that it's a 50/50 chance I'll get it too, and earlier (sometime much earlier) than run-of-the-mill Alzheimer's. It actually gives me some relief that this is possibly an Autistic trait.

 

[Stitch]

I will use the name of my best friend. Sometimes. Other than that I have to make a lot of effort to say the the name, and that's if I can remember which name goes with their face... Most of the time I don't find the situation worth the trouble.