Six tips to communicate with Autistic people better

1. Allow for "thinking time"

Autistic people may need time to process what’s being said before receiving more information or being able to respond. If the person doesn't respond straight away, you should allow at least 5-10 seconds before you repeat your instruction or comment.

When too much information is given at once, the person may misunderstand what's been said. It can be helpful to break up ideas into simple sentences, allowing for "thinking time" after each instruction.

2. Communicate one idea at a time

It can be difficult for some Autistic people to process more than one idea at a time. To communicate ideas more clearly you can break up an idea into smaller chunks and allow for thinking time. This will help the person to process what's been said before presenting the next idea.

Presenting each idea separately, and in the order that they'll happen, can improve understanding for Autistic people.

3. Simplify your language

If your instructions, comments or questions aren’t being understood, you could try to rephrase using simpler words, and avoid using jargon and acronyms. You can also simplify your language by using key words to help get your message across clearly.

Visual supports or basic pictures can also be used to support what's being said. This can be helpful when communicating an idea or giving a simple instruction because many Autistic people are visual learners.

4. Be specific

Many Autistic people are more likely to make a choice about a particular task or event if choices are limited, as too much choice may be overwhelming.

If a person uses echolalia (repeating words or phrases back to you) they may just repeat the last choice given to them. A good solution would be to use a visual choice board or offer two options for the person to choose from.

An open-ended question like "what do you want to do now?" can be too overwhelming. Presenting concrete options such as "do you want to work on the presentation or break for lunch?" can make the choice much easier.

5. If you're not asking a question, don't phrase it as one

Autistic people can sometimes interpret what's being said very literally, so giving an instruction by asking a question can sometimes cause confusion. For example "are you going to do the presentation now?". This could be taken literally and the reply could be "no" which can be taken as uncooperative or rude.

Questions suggest there's a choice so it's best to avoid them when an instruction needs to be followed. A clearer way to give this instruction would be to say "please do the presentation now".

6. Keep your message clear

A clear instruction like "put the lids on the pens when you have finished using them" is easy for a person to understand. Implied meanings can be complex and easily misinterpreted.

For example, a statement like "the pens will dry out if you leave the lids off" is implying that the lids need to be put back on the pens otherwise they'll dry out. This isn't clear and relies on a person's ability to make inferences about what's being said.

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