22 Apr 2024 Communication Corner – Communication and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) April is recognized as Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month Communication is typically impacted by ASD. Some of those impacts may include… Limited or different eye contact Difficulty noticing and understanding non-verbal cues such as facial expressions and gestures Varying abilities to use speech as communication Trouble communicating about subjects not of special interest Echoing words or phrases seemingly without meaning Confusion around the meaning of metaphors or common phrases Overall challenges with language development Some ways to provide support include… Speech and Language Evaluation Using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) strategies and tools Developing nonverbal ways to communicate clearly like using American Sign Language Describing your actions as you do everyday things to model communication Using direct, clear language Clarifying meaning as both the sender and receiver of messages Recognizing and encouraging any attempts at communication, both verbal and non-verbal Communication is more than words and together we can make sure that everyone is heard and understood! For more tips, please visit “Communication And…” Series – MyODP