Communication skills
You are no doubt very aware of the communication difficulties that your child may display. Individuals with ASD typically experience problems in some aspect of the to and fro nature of conversation. They may be prone to going off on tangents, holding a monologue or only engaging on a functional basis rather than for the purposes of connection.
Most students with ASD find it difficult to understand different perspectives, tending to see things from only their point of view. This can cause problems especially in situations of conflict where this skill is often necessary to reach a successful resolution. Some children do not recognise hierarchical structures and so do not adapt their style when speaking to people in authority versus friends or family. Tone of voice can also be problematic with little variation or inappropriate tone. Some students find themselves in trouble because they sound argumentative even though this is not their intention.
Students with ASD often have a limited range of gestures. This can limit the effectiveness of their communication making them appear more wooden and uninteresting even though the content may be fascinating. It Is important to bear in mind that processing speed is often affected even in children with normal language ability.
Suggested Actions for Developing Communication Skills
- Cue children in by saying their name first and then speaking.
- Speak at a normal but slightly slower pace to accommodate difficulties with processing. Give them time to respond and if repetition is needed, repeat rather than rephrase.
- Conversational skills are usually addressed in social skills training but there are things you can do at home to improve abilities. For example, if your child tends to go off on a tangent, you can choose a topic for discussion at meal time and agree to talk about that thing for 3 minutes. Try to do this activities in the form of a game as your child is far more likely to respond positively to this.
- Body language is also often targeted in social skills training. However, if your child is amenable to your input, then you can share your observations though be careful to do so in an encouraging way to avoid your child feeling criticised.
- Children with ASD often struggle to understand non-literal or ambiguous language such as sarcasm and idioms. They may respond to requests literally, for example, if asked, “Can you bring in the washing?”, they may reply with “Yes”. This is rarely an intentional attempt to be funny or obstructive although school staff who are unaware of their difficulty may treat it as such. Try to be as clear and specific as you can when talking to your child and avoid making them feel bad about misunderstandings. It can be helpful to ask your child to repeat instructions back to you or write them down to ensure understanding.
