FAQautism

How do I talk to a person who is non-verbal? Or to a friend with autism who echoes every word I say? Is it necessary to talk to an individual who is not able to talk back? How can I carry on a casual one-way conversation?

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It is certainly challenging to converse with a person who does not talk or who echoes words or phrases. But our friends with autism who do not have functional speech cannot exist in a social vacuum with no casual conversations. It seems appropriate to assume their receptive language is intact even if they are not able to express thoughts and opinions. Don’t worry about whether or not your friend with autism understands all that you say. The ultimate goal is to develop a personal relationship with your friend by making a connection and keeping the pipelines open for interacting person-to-person.

Here are a few strategies for inserting frequent casual conversation into the lives of non-verbal children, teens, and adults with autism.
+ Take time throughout the day – at meals, in the car, on walks, when swinging on the porch – to talk about what you see and hear and feel.
+ Talk about events of the day, about plans for tomorrow, and about upcoming special events.
+ While looking a photographs, talk about acquaintances and about past experiences at school, camp, birthday parties, family gatherings, vacations, and other events.
+ Talk about your opinions, about events in your life, and about your dreams.
+ Take time frequently to read books, magazines, and newspapers together.
+ Take time frequently to go to sporting events or car shows or flea markets or fireworks displays or walks on the beach or walks around the block to help broaden horizons.
+ Be silent sometimes – you don’t need to fill all the spaces in the conversation.
+ Don’t hesitate to ask questions – someday you might get an answer!!!

We welcome your input. Share challenges and ideas based on your experiences or intuition. Just click on the comments button or send an e-mail to talk@FAQautism.com.

NOTE TO READERS AND LISTENERS: I am Cathy Knoll, a board certified music therapist and long-time friend of many folks with autism. At FAQautism.com we are committed to providing free, practical, everyday tips for making life better for people with autism. Feel free to send me an email with your thoughts or challenging situations or innovative solution. Send email to talk@FAQautism.com And don’t forget to check out our website for a wealth of ideas and a glimpse into the world of autism. http://FAQautism.com

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