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ASD Communication

Home › ASD Communication
“Every word or sound uttered is important communication. Every quiet moment too.”
Amanda J. Friedman

Autism Spectrum Disorder & Communication

Communication development happens differently and more slowly for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Eye contact is a key part of nonverbal communication or slow development of speech. It helps other parts of communication, like being able to notice another person’s facial expressions and emotions. Meltdowns and behaviour is often related to communication, due to the fact they are not able to express themselves.

Because of the sensory challenges associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder, children with Autism do not naturally imitate in the same way as neurotypical children. They either don’t imitate at all or they imitate whole sentences (called echoes) without always understanding the meaning of the things they are saying.

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder also sometimes:

  • Use made-up words, which are called neologisms.
  • Say the same word over and over.
  • Repeat the same sounds.
  • Confuse pronouns and refer to themselves as ‘you’, and the person they’re talking to as ‘I’.

Undesirable behaviour

Children with ASD behave in difficult ways, and this behaviour is often related to communication.

Children with high-functioning autism or Asperger syndrome may have an extensive vocabulary and use long sentences. But when it comes to social communication, much more is required than that the ability to use words.

Body language, facial expressions, eye gaze, tone of voice – non-verbal cues can often tell us more about what our children think and feel than the words they use.

Nonverbal communication

Nonverbal ways of communicating might include:

  • Physically manipulating a person or object – for example, taking a person’s hand and pushing it towards something the child wants.
  • Pointing, showing and shifting gaze – for example, a child looks at or points to something they want and then shifts their gaze to another person, letting that person know they want the object.
  • Using objects – for example, the child hands an object to another person to communicate.
  • They might have certain traits that related to certain situations and they can’t go without that specific object. – For example, a child has to leave home with a toy, blanket or something specific.

Unconventional use of language

Many children with Autism use words and verbal strategies to communicate and interact, but they might use language in unusual ways.

Echolalia is very common in children with Autism. Echolalia is when children mimic words or phrases without meaning or in an unusual tone of voice.

Here are some ways you can encourage communication and eye contact with your child:

  • Use short sentences.
  • Use less mature language.
  • Exaggerate your tone of voice.
  • Encourage and prompt your child to fill the gap when it’s your child’s turn in a conversation.
  • Ask questions that need a reply from your child.
  • Make enough time for your child to respond to questions.
  • Hold an object your child wants in front of your eyes so your child looks at your eyes at the same time as looking towards the object.
  • Hold onto an object your child wants for a few extra seconds before letting your child take it.
  • Encourages your child to look towards your face when they don’t get the object immediately.
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