Autism and communication

People with autism can find unfamiliar people and situations uncomfortable. They might find talking overwhelming and may choose to withdraw from a conversation completely.

Other difficulties can include:

• understanding what other people's facial expressions, body language and gestures mean
• following conversations and jokes
• waiting for other people to finish speaking.

People with autism may:

• talk at length about their own views
• not talk enough
• start speaking before the other person has finished
• use little eye contact or emotion when talking to you.

Key actions

To enable a person with autism to engage more fully, make sure they have:

• time to adjust to new people and new situations
• assistance if they need it - for example, an individual may choose to be accompanied by an advocate
• meetings in a place where they feel comfortable.  

 Autism: further information 

Autism (MS Word)

Autism (Adobe PDF)