Inclusivity Newsletter
January 2022 Edition IV
Hello Creekside!
Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday break!
To kick off the new year, this month's newsletter will talk more about autism and the communication differences between neurotypicals and autistic individuals.
As always, if you have any questions or would like me to talk about a certain topic, please contact me!
P.S. Mark your calendars as April is Autism Acceptance Month!
Again... What is autism?
It is a difference in the brain that impacts how a person experiences and perceives the world around them.
Autism is not bad or wrong. It does not mean lack of empathy, poorly behaved, or unintelligent. It also does not mean that an autistic individual will not make progress, communicate, have friends, excel in school, get a job, get married, or anything else.
Autism is just a difference in the brain like there are differences in cultures, races, eye color, hair color, etc.!
Social Communication Differences
Eye-Contact
- Neurotypical people usually prefer to make eye-contact while speaking to others because it is accepted as a sign of respect, and a sign that you are paying attention fully.
- Neurodivergent people often dislike making eye-contact while conversing. It can feel physically uncomfortable for them, or just plain awkward. These people often listen better when they are looking away or doing other things with their body.
Amount of Information
- Neurotypical people tend to prefer "small talk" or talking briefly about common topics such as the weather or weekend plans.
- Neurodivergent people often do not understand the reason for making small talk, and instead prefer to dive into deeper conversations, often sharing a lot of information about their preferred interests. Some refer to this as "info dumping".
Sarcasm
- Neurodivergent people often have difficulty understanding sarcasm. They think of it literally, instead of knowing that it's meant to be a joke.
AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication)
- Some people don't communicate using oral words. We can call these people non-speaking. Instead, they may use AAC. This means they share their thoughts with an iPad "talker", or with sign language/gestures, or pointing to pictures, or anything else that isn't words from their mouth.
Body Language
- Sometimes, neurodivergent people don't understand body language.
Previous Newsletters
Edition II - Sensory Processing Disorder and Autism
Edition III - International Day of Persons with Disabilities and Riyalynn
Connect With:
Speech-Language Pathologist
Email: ahauke@powayusd.com