Communicate With People Who Have High Functioning Autism

Your basic guide of how to communicate with someone who has high functioning autism. What you should and should not do, ect.

Steps

 * 1)  They will probably talk to you about their "specialty subjects" even if you are not interested, however, they will not know that you are not interested.  So let them go on for a bit before steering the conversation somewhere else.  Or you may find a subcategory in their area(s) of expertise interesting and you can use this to gain common ground with them.
 * 2)  To communicate with them in the least stressful way possible, make sure you talk where there are minimal distractions or sources of stress around the individual.  ex. flashing lights, annoying/distracting/distressing sounds, crowds, ect.
 * 3)  Try to avoid touching them without warning, usually people with high functioning autism do not like to be touched unless they initiate it, like if they tap you on the shoulder or something.
 * 4)  Get to know them really well before trying to make them part of any group.  They may not even want to be in a group, which is fine, just be a friend to them anyway.  This does not mean that they hate you, it just means that people and social interaction are not on their priority list.

Tips

 * Try to talk to them about stuff that they are interested in. Many times it is difficult to have a conversation if it is about something that they do not care about at all.  It will usually be pretty obvious because they will participate very little or not at all.
 * Don't try to progress your friendship too quickly because this can cause a lot of stress for the autistic person. Try to take it slow and steady, just be consistent so they can adapt.  The general pace that you should try to have your friendship progress depends on the person's stage of social development.

Warnings

 * If you can tell they are getting more and more stressed or anxious as you talk to them give them some space, maybe come back later. Something important to remember is that people on the autistic spectrum do not filter out things in the same way that most people do and it can be a lot to manage.  This does not mean that they do not like you, it just means that they have had enough for the day.  If you stay you can put them at risk of having a "meltdown."
 * Don't point out or criticize unusual behaviors they may have such as hand gestures, eye contact, pacing, etc. If you do this you will not only hurt the person's feelings, but possibly destroy any chance of having any sort of relationship with them.  If you keep behaving normally, without drawing attention to the things that they are doing that are unusual, they will be more relaxed and more able to model your behavior.  You can help them by doing this.
 * Do not pressure them to have eye contact with you. It is extremely uncomfortable for most people on the autistic spectrum to look at people in the face for extended periods of time, if at all.  Common mistakes people make are asking the person to look at them or putting themselves in their path of sight.  As the individual becomes more comfortable socially they may look at you in the face more, or they may not.  Either way it's usually best not to draw attention to it.  Just because they are not looking at your eyes does not mean they are not listening to you.
 * Don't reject them completely if your first, second, or third attempts at communicating with them do not appear to be going according to plan. Keep behaving consistently and they will be more relaxed and able to engage in the situation more fluidly when they are ready.

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