Top Tips for Communicating with Your Autistic Students: An Autistic Perspective

As an autistic individual, I’d like to share some valuable insights to help you better communicate with your autistic students. These tips come from my personal experience and aim to create a more inclusive and supportive learning environment. Remember, while these guidelines can be helpful, we’re all unique individuals, so always be prepared to adapt to each student’s needs.

1. Be Direct and Clear

Many of us struggle with interpreting indirect communication. This isn’t a choice or lack of effort on our part — it’s simply how our brains process social cues and implied meanings differently. What might seem like a clear instruction to you could have multiple interpretations for us, or might be missing key details we need to fully understand what’s expected.

Here are some strategies you can implement in your classroom to ensure clearer communication:

• Use explicit language: Say exactly what you mean. Instead of “Could you tidy up a bit?”, say “Please put your books in your bag and push in your chair.”
• Provide specific instructions: Rather than “Write an essay about your summer,” give clear parameters: “Write a 500-word essay about your favorite activity during summer break. Include when and where it happened, who was involved, and why you enjoyed it.”
• Check for understanding: After giving instructions, ask students to repeat back what they need to do. This question shouldn’t be asked to test an autistic student, but to ensure your communication is clear. If they cannot repeat it back on the first ask, use that as an opportunity to see what they were able to understand and where they got confused. This helps you identify which parts of your instruction need clarification.
• Use visual aids: We often benefit from having both verbal and written instructions or visual schedules. These can be especially helpful in supporting routines. For example, a visual schedule outlining everything that needs to be put away when packing up can help reduce stress and frustration.
• Be patient with questions: If we ask for clarification, please resist the urge to simply repeat the original instruction. Try rephrasing or breaking it down further.

What seems direct to you might not be clear to us. We need an environment where we feel safe asking for clarification without fear of judgment.

2. Break Down Information

For many autistic individuals, processing large amounts of information at once can be overwhelming. We often need to understand each component before we can grasp the whole picture. What might seem like a simple, single task to you could actually involve multiple steps that we need to process separately.

Here are some ways you can help make information more manageable in your classroom:

• Chunk information: What might seem like a single task to you could be multiple steps for us. For example, getting ready in the morning might seem like one task, but we might see it as several distinct steps: unpacking our things, putting lunch in a designated area, ensuring technology is charged, turning in homework, doing a morning activity. When these are all chunked together as one task, it can become overwhelming and difficult to track.
• Use numbered or bulleted lists: This helps us organize information visually and makes it easier to follow.
• Provide a timeline: For multi-step tasks, consider assigning deadlines for each part. This helps us manage time and reduces anxiety about the overall task.
• Allow processing time: Give us time to process each chunk of information before moving on.
• Offer scaffolding: For complex tasks, consider providing templates or frameworks we can fill in. You can gradually reduce this support as we become more comfortable with the task.

3. Be Mindful of Rhetorical Questions and Sarcasm

As autistic individuals, many of us process language literally. This different way of processing language can make it challenging to interpret things like rhetorical questions or sarcasm in the moment. It’s not that we’re being difficult or deliberately misunderstanding — our brains are wired to first take language at face value.

Here are some ways you can help navigate these communication challenges in your classroom:

• Rhetorical questions: Questions you might ask rhetorically, we might interpret literally. For example, when you say “Why would you do that?” or “What do you think?”, we might answer literally when you didn’t intend for an answer. Please teach us that it’s okay to ask if a question is rhetorical or genuine, and create a safe space for us to do so.
• Sarcasm: We have varying abilities to understand sarcasm. Some of us can understand even subtle sarcasm, while others might struggle with all forms. Obvious sarcasm can be easier for some to detect, but it’s not universal. It’s important to know each student’s comfort level with sarcasm. Create an environment where we feel comfortable asking if something was meant sarcastically. When we do ask, providing a clear, straightforward answer helps prevent confusion and builds trust.
• Tone of voice: Some of us might not pick up on changes in tone that indicate joking or sarcasm. Create an environment where we feel safe to ask for clarification. If confusion arises, be ready to explain that it was a joke and what the joke meant.

4. Allow for Flexibility in Communication

Communication isn’t one-size-fits-all for autistic individuals. Even those of us who are primarily verbal may have times when speaking is difficult or overwhelming. This can happen for various reasons — sensory overload, anxiety, or simply the cognitive load of processing verbal information while trying to formulate responses.

Here are some ways you can create a more flexible communication environment in your classroom:

• Offer multiple communication options: Provide alternatives to verbal communication, such as:

Writing notes

Typing on a computer or tablet

Using picture cards or communication boards

Text-to-speech apps

• Respect non-verbal periods: Some days, even those of us who are usually talkative might find verbal communication difficult. Please don’t force speech during these times.
• Allow processing time: Give us extra time to formulate responses. When you see we’re thinking, resist the urge to fill silences or prompt too quickly (though this isn’t always necessary — you’ll learn to recognize when we’re processing versus when we’re stuck).
• Provide written instructions: Written versions of verbal instructions allow us to process information at our own pace and refer back as needed.
• Use visual supports: Visual schedules and task lists can help support our understanding and reduce anxiety.
• Respect stimming: Understand that stimming (self-stimulatory behavior like hand-flapping or rocking) is a form of self-regulation or expression for us. Don’t discourage it unless it’s harmful.

5. Understand the Importance of Context

We tend to process information in what’s often referred to as a “bottom-up” way. This means we often need detailed information to understand the bigger picture. Sometimes, we have trouble processing something without specific details that may seem unnecessary to a non-autistic person.

But this can be a double-edged sword; if you give us a lot of unnecessary information, we might become hyper fixated on those details even when they aren’t necessary to understand the bigger picture. We might try to figure out why those details were brought to our attention (since details are so important to us).

These two things seem contradictory and can make communication difficult to navigate. But remember that we process information differently, and please be patient and understanding. If we’re hyperfixating on something that’s not relevant, don’t just tell us it’s not important. Remember, context matters! Explain why it’s not important: “This isn’t important because the main point of what I’m saying is actually this”. We might need a minute to process, but this will help us reframe the details within that adjusted context. Often, our confusion arises from not understanding what we’re supposed to focus on, so we try to focus on everything at once.

Here are some strategies you can use to help us process information more effectively:

• Provide background information: When introducing new topics, help us understand why it’s important and how it connects to previous learning.
• Be patient with detail-oriented questions: Our questions about specific details might be crucial for understanding the whole concept.
• Use clear transitions: When moving between topics or activities, clearly signal the change. This helps us shift our focus and understand the new context.
• Highlight key points: Clearly indicate which parts are most important. You might say, “The three main points to remember are…” or use visual cues like underlining or bold text.
• Provide a framework: Before diving into details, give us an overview of what you’ll be covering. This helps us organize the incoming information.
• Be consistent with routines: Establish clear classroom routines. If these need to change, explain why and provide advance notice when possible.

Conclusion

I hope these insights help you create a more inclusive and effective learning environment for your autistic students. Remember, we’re all unique individuals, so be open to adapting these strategies based on each student’s needs.

Your efforts to improve communication will benefit not just your autistic students but can enhance the learning experience for everyone in your classroom. By fostering an environment of clear communication, flexibility, and mutual understanding, you’re helping to build a more inclusive educational system for everyone.

Most importantly, create a classroom culture where we feel safe to ask questions, seek clarification, and express our needs. This environment of acceptance and safety will naturally encourage us to advocate for ourselves in both small and significant ways.

Don’t be afraid to ask us what works best — we’re the experts on our own experiences and needs. By involving us in the process, you’re not only improving your teaching methods but also empowering us to advocate for ourselves throughout our lives.

About the Author

Kimberly (Kiki) Almonte, Senior Administrative Coordinator

As an AuDHD professional (Autistic and ADHD), Kiki brings both personal experience and professional expertise to her role at the Collaborative for Inclusive Education. Her lived experience directly informs and inspires her work at the Collaborative, where she supports key initiatives and helps provide charter schools with resources needed to implement effective strategies. Kiki contributes to gathering and compiling information on various educational topics for the Collaborative, with a passion for supporting neurodivergent children.