Understanding neurodivergent communication
Who is this advice for?
The following resources may be useful for children and young people who have a diagnosis of autism / on the waiting list for an autism assessment / or who associate with being autistic. It might also be helpful for children who present with social communication differences but do not necessarily associate with being autistic.
How will this advice support my child?
(Setting staff can use this wording to write targets)
These resources will help your child to:
- understand that different people have different communication styles, and no one communication style is better than the other
- understand what neurotypical and autistic communication styles might look like
We no longer support traditional “social skills groups” which taught children that their way of communicating was wrong and must change. Instead, it is important that they learn that their style of communication is different and valid, not wrong. It is also important to educate those around the child/young person about differences in neurodivergent communication style.
Resources within this section can be used in conjunction with supporting the child/young person’s self-advocacy skills. It’s important for children and young people to be supported to ask for what they need and to feel confident and empowered to share what’s important to them.
Please see the relevant section below for further support:
Self-advocacy for those who are non-speaking or minimally speaking
Self-advocacy for those who are using language
