Communication with people with autistic spectrum disorders

1. Persons with autistic spectrum disorders

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a broad category which includes some pervasive mental disorders. These disorders are similar in some ways, but different in others. The similarities are sometimes called “autism triad of impairments”:

1. difficulties with establishing and keeping relationships
2. communication issues (in some cases, people with autism do not speak at all or can speak but do not do so)
3. peculiarities in perception and imagination (typically: focus on details, repetitive behaviour, etc.)

Most people with autism also struggle with an intellectual disability, however there are people with the so called high-functioning autism (mostly Asperger Syndrome), who exhibit average or even above average intellectual abilities (a few even have extraordinary memory and combinatorial skills).

(Photo by Sharon McCutcheon from Pexels)

On the following two websites, search for information on communication of people with ASD and try to summarize them in three points:

1. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/signs.html
2. https://www.helpguide.org/articles/autism-learning-disabilities/autism-spectrum-disorders.htm

Watch the video with ASD overview:

2. Communication strategies with people with autistic spectrum disorders

People with Autism Spectrum Disorder prefer clear and repetitive patterns (in schedules, space, communication, etc.). They love order and regularity - and they need to know the schedule of activities (this need is related to their feeling of safety in the world which seems as chaotic and dangerous to them).

Communication with them should be regular and consistent; they usually have their favourite words.

The efficient strategies in commincation and education are:

Often the simple statements accompanied with pictures or pictograms are used.

Diversion from the structure or plan could easily distract a child with ASD and trigger defensive aggressive behaviour. Such aggression is caused by anxiety and fear of the chaos. The child could have an uncontrollable outbreak of anger which is not understood by people around the child which could easily be misconstrued as bad parenting.

People with autism often have “social blindness,” which means that they are incapable of reading other people’s gestures and expression and can easily utter something inappropriate or even offensive. Children with autism spectrum disorder might seem distant, closed, uncommunicative, but it is not true that they are insensitive or that they reject affection, cuddling, etc. The issue is rather the inability to react to the way people around express their emotions (including mothers). Conversely, they express feelings in a way often incomprehensible for “normal” people. The result is a wall which is hard to overcome; misunderstanding is also another problem.

Watch the following video and write down what tools could help in efficient communication with persons with ASD: