Autism: Top tips for communication

Many children, and adults, have differences or difficulties in: 

• understanding language (what other people have said)  

• expressing themselves (saying what they want to say) 

These difficulties with language and communication can happen on their own or with other conditions such as autism. 

Language and communication difficulties can las a long time and can affect lots of different areas of a person’s life, including:  

• Literacy (learning to read and write) 

• Friendships and relationships 

• Emotional wellbeing (how the person feels about themself) 

• Behaviour 

If you have language or communication difficulties it may be helpful to tell people what they can do to support you.  

If you know someone who has, or might have, difficulties with language or communication, it may be helpful to ask them what you can do to help them. 

Remember, there are lots of different ways to support someone with language and communication difficulties. These could include writing things down, using gesture, signs pictures or symbols.  

Below are some ideas that may be helpful.  

• Gaining attention - use the person’s name to get their attention before giving instructions / information 
• Use visual support (especially when lots of information or words are used) this could include:  

  • using the interactive whiteboard 

  • using technology 

  • providing written instructions, these can be ticked off as they are completed 

  • using pictures, or real objects, to support written information 

  • demonstrating / showing how to do tasks 

  • using interactive role-play 

• Check understanding

  • Ask for instructions to be repeated / shown / modelled back to you so you can check understanding 

  • Agree a strategy to be used if the information has not been understood 

• Allow extra time

  • to process information and instructions and, 

  • time for formulating responses 

•  Encourage, and accept, all forms of communication, This could include: 

  • Pointing 

  • Gesture 

  • Showing  

  • Miming  

  • Facial expression 

  • Writing / drawing 

• Breaks 

  • Plan regular breaks, people cannot focus all the time. 

  • Use your knowledge of the person to think about how frequently breaks should be taken. 

You may need to plan a break before the person does something to ensure a break happens e.g. pushes their book on the floor to indicate they have had enough. 

• Give praise / positive feedback 

  • Give feedback on what has been said /communicated 

  • This will help to develop the person’s confidence in speaking / communicating 

• Modify your language

  • Speak more slowly/ slow-down your conversations.  

  • Chunk information, giving instructions containing one – two key words at a time e.g. “put the plates on the table” or “read the story, then answer the questions” 

  • Repeat or rephrase information as needed 

  • Keep sentences / instructions short and to the point 

  • Keep vocabulary simple  

  • Pause between sentences / instructions to allow time for processing  

  • Use literal language (avoid use of figurative language)  

  • Keep word, and time order the same for example say ‘finish your lunch and then go to the shop’ rather than ‘before you go to the shop, finish your lunch’ 

• Vocabulary knowledge

  • Check vocabulary knowledge e.g. ‘examine’ or ‘predict’ and use easier words as needed ‘look at’ or ‘guess’ 

  • Pre-teach new / key curriculum vocabulary (try to set aside 5 minutes at the beginning of lessons to check / teach vocabulary knowledge – this will help the whole class)  

  • Model the use of vocabulary; use this in different ways to give multiple examples.  This will help develop understanding but also model sentence structures that can be used to answer different questions.