All Behaviour Is Communication, BUT…
It just might not be communicating what you think it is
Assumptions are harmful
Most of you have likely heard the phrase “all behaviour is communication”. It’s true. Behaviour tells us something about a person’s inner experience.
We have to be careful, however, when we’re reading into people’s behaviour. Sometimes we get it wrong, and that can have negative consequences for everyone involved.
For example, some Autistic people use echolalic speech and scripted speech, especially when we are stressed or in an unfamiliar situation and aren’t sure what to say.
When asked a question or given a statement, an Autistic person might repeat back part of what they heard to help them process what was said. This may come across as agreeing, or it could even come across as argumentative, depending on the tone and context.
It might be either one of those, or it might be neither. Sometimes Autistics need time to process and formulate a response. If we repeat the question or make assumptions, we haven’t given them an opportunity to be properly heard.
Another common response when we don’t know what to say is to use scripted language. This can mean using lines we’ve read in books or seen on T.V…
