Social Communication

People with Autism Spectrum Disorder often:

• have slower language development as young children,
• interpret language very literally,
• have the same communication style regardless of the context,
• have difficulty understanding how facial expressions and tone-of-voice alter the meaning of sentences they hear.

Issues with social communication make it difficult for students with ASD to understand and participate in social interactions. They may find it difficult to communicate in a way that peers feel is “natural”. Students with ASD often have difficulty with organising their thoughts and behaviour, which impacts on their social communication. For more information about organisational skills, click here.