Body movements or positions that communicate something. Body language includes things that you do with your hands, feet, head, even your whole body. Here are some examples (but there are many other kinds of body language too!):
- The position of your body (for example, slouching when relaxed or holding your body stiff/tight when tense or nervous)
- Your head (such as shaking your head to say no, and nodding to say yes)
Interventions in which you are the person working with a therapist, coach, or teacher. Here are some examples.
- Teaching an autistic person how to communicate in specific situations like making friends or asking coworkers questions.
- Teaching an autistic person skills like reading facial expressions or changing the tone of your voice when you ask a question.
Communication is what happens when one person shares something and another person tries to understand what they shared. Communication happens between people. Communication can’t happen alone.
“Communicate” can mean that you felt someone understood what you shared. It can also mean that you felt like you understood another person. It does not mean that someone told you that you were right, that they did what you wanted them to do, or you did what they wanted you to do.
Facial expressions are movements or positions you do with your face. Sometimes people make facial expressions on purpose and sometimes we do them without thinking about it, meaning to, or realizing they’ve done it. We are always showing some facial expression, even if we aren’t aware of it. Facial expressions and how you position your face (including eyes, mouth, eyebrows, and forehead) can show emotions, like fear, joy, confusion, or surprise.
Think about how well you can perform this action when you have the support you need to focus and you are feeling well.
For understanding spoken language, speaking, and communicating in general, this may include taking all the time you need in these situations.
For writing or typing, this may include having the accommodations and/or technology you need to handle any physical or motor issues that get in the way.
Hand gestures are movement or positions you do with your hands. Hand gestures might add to other kinds of communication. For example, if someone says they caught a big fish, they can show you how big it was with their hands. Hand gestures may also communicate something on their own. Some examples of hand gestures are:
- Pointing at something
- Thumbs up to mean yes or good job
- Waving arms to show excitement or importance
- Flapping your hands because you’re happy
An intervention is when someone tries to help another person who is having a problem. Other similar words are “treatment” or “support.” Examples of intervention include therapy, coaching, and accommodations.
Communication that is not verbal. Verbal means words, either spoken, written, or signed.
Nonverbal communication does not include words but can include sounds. It also includes eye contact, tone of voice, facial expressions, hand gestures, and body language.
Nonverbal communication can happen at the same time as verbal communication, or it can happen on its own.
You can learn more about nonverbal communication here!
Interventions in which communication partners are working with a therapist or coach. Here are some examples:
- Teaching peers or coworkers how to be more inclusive of autistic communication preferences and styles.
- Training doctors to check in verbally with their autistic patients instead of relying on their nonverbal communication.
Processing means that you are working on understanding something. For example, processing time means the time you need to understand someone’s facial expressions. As another example, you may find it hard to process two things at once. This means you are better at understanding and acting on one thing at a time.
This may include times where there are lots of distractions or sensory input, when the conversation is happening quickly, or when you are feeling sick, stressed, or tired.
Tone of voice is how your voice sounds when you are speaking. This includes how loud or soft your voice is. It also includes how high- or low-pitched your voice is. For example, making your tone of voice high-pitched can show that you are excited or nervous about something. You might change your tone to bring people’s attention to an important word in a sentence. Your tone of voice can also show whether you are making a statement or asking a question.
Verbal language or verbal communication is communication done with words. This includes spoken language (including languages other than English), sign language, writing, or using a speech-generating device.
