Stepping Out Blog

Communication:

When working with clients whom are diagnosed with Autism it is important you use clear, precise methods to communicate, we suggest using the following generalised method:

People with autism have difficulties with both verbal and non-verbal language. Many have a very literal understanding of language, and think people always mean exactly what they say. They can find it difficult to use or understand:

• Facial expressions or tone of voice
• Jokes and sarcasm
• Common phrases and sayings; an example might be the phrase ‘It’s cool’, which people often say when they think that something is good. Those with Autism may only understand the phrase literally i.e. “it’s cool outside,” instead of, “it’s cool wearing those trainers.”

Some people with autism may not speak, or have fairly limited speech. They will generally understand what other people say to them, but may prefer to use alternative means of communication themselves, such as sign language or visual symbols/picture cards.

Clients with Autism generally also have difficulty with social interaction they may often have difficulty recognising or understanding other people’s emotions and feelings, and expressing their own, which can make it more difficult for them to fit in socially. They may:

• Be socially awkward possibly out in the community, for example they may stand too close to another person, or start an inappropriate subject of conversation that may offend others.
• May be fidgety, noisy and act strangely towards and around others, this may be due to sensory overload, their anxieties etc.
• Appear to be insensitive because they have not recognised how someone else is feeling.
• Prefer to spend time alone rather than seeking out the company of other people

Clients with autism may also have difficulties with social imagination. They may have trouble working out what other people know or what other people are thinking.

Autistic clients have trouble understanding and predicting other people’s behaviour, make sense of abstract ideas, and to imagine situations outside our immediate daily routine. Difficulties with social imagination mean that people with autism find it hard to:

• Understand and interpret other people’s thoughts, feelings and actions.
• Predict what will happen next, or what could happen next.
• Understand the concept of danger, for example that running on to a busy road is extremely dangerous.
• Cope in new or unfamiliar situations.