Asperger's Issues | Image

This outlines four major areas where miscommunication or pragmatic mismatching might occur for an individual with aspergers (a mild form of autism). These are identifying the relative importance of various topics, thinking at high speed, but not communicating everything they are thinking, a strong (even overwhelming) desire to be heard and understood, and the desire to stim (engage in repetitive acts with soothing properties for the individual) to relieve anxiety.

Where communication breaks down for people with autism | Article

People on the spectrum often have subtle problems using language or making facial expressions. Pinpointing where those difficulties originate may help ease their social communication.”

Lydia Denworth discusses some of the reasons why communication (based on neurotypical rules) can be difficult for neurodiverse individuals. They acknowledge that these challenges can be difficult to characterize because there is so much variability.  Specifically, the article summarized results from a few studies on the use of prosody, facial expressions, and pronoun errors by neurodiverse speakers. In conclusions, the author suggests that differences in these areas of communication are what make the speakers seem “awkward”. The research presented in this article could be used to educate neurotypical individuals to encourage them to be more understanding.

How not to take things personally? | YouTube Video

This video deals with the topic of not taking things personally. While it does not focus directly on neurodivergence, this is an important tool in neurodivergent-neurotypical communication. The directness prominent in neurodivergent communication and frequently preferred by neurodivergent speakers can lead to offense and bruised egos. This video discusses how to avoid the ego taking over and how to avoid taking others' actions and speech personally which can support an individual in a discussion with a neurodivergent individual, for whom direct speech is not personal or intended to be offensive. This can lead to fewer angry disputes and miscommunications.

Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships: Decoding Social Mysteries Through the Unique Perspectives of Autism | Book

This book is by Temple Grandin (see two of the YouTube videos provided in this collection) and Sean Barron. It focuses on many of the unwritten social rules used by (presumably predominantly English speaking) neurotypical individuals and how to decode these “mysteries” through an autistic lense. This can both provide another point of view on day-to-day activities and discussions for a neurotypical reader and serve as a strong educational tool for a neurodivergent individual. This book deals with logic, isolation, difficulties in childhood, communication, and the need for neurodivergent individuals to learn by mimicry (even if they do not receive the support to entirely understand why they are learning what they are learning) in order to “pass” in a neurotypical society. The book description states, “Whether you are a person with autism, a caregiver in the autism community, or just someone interested in an outsider view of society, their powerful stories will enthrall and enlighten you.”