How to Communicate with a Nonverbal Autistic Person

Aug 07, 2024

How to Communicate with a Nonverbal Autistic Person

For autistic people, communication can be difficult. Some learn to speak and communicate verbally while others may be predominantly nonverbal. Below we have listed some tips to remember when communication with a nonverbal autistic person:

Be patient

Autistic people may take longer to process what you have said to them, and they may not respond as quickly as typically expected.
Some autistic people may not have the same physical or social boundaries as you. They may stand close to you, touch or hug you or ask you personal questions about yourself.

Be supportive

Be aware of sensory overload triggers and issues that may arise in public situations. Some autistic people do not do well with large crowds, noises, lights, strong smells. You may need to keep this in mind when choosing activities or locations to spend time together.

Try to find common ground or interests

For someone who is nonverbal, you may need to rely on finding a common activity to do together, such as crafts, building model planes or cars or playing card games.

For more information, read our “The Typically Developing Person’s Guide to Making Friends with Autistic People” article.

Communication Tools for Autistic People

The use of devices and technology has greatly enhanced the way in which autistic people are able to express themselves and communicate with others. Below we will explore the different methods available to enhance communication:

Just as a typically developing person may point to the things that they want before they are able to use words, a Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) is a simple tool that can give a nonverbal autistic person what they need in order to express themselves. This can work in a variety of ways. The nonverbal individual could be given a notebook (or other item) that has pictures of common items that they may need to reference. The autistic person could then use those pictures to express their needs throughout the day. These communication systems can be very individualized, and they can be updated as their user’s needs change. Another benefit of PECS is that they are relatively cheap and easy to construct; however, they are limited in their ability to help the user communicate complex sentences or thoughts.

The PECS website has more resources on how to construct a system and how to implement them.

A more advanced way to communicate is through an Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) device. This device is a tablet or iPad that allows the user to select picture or words and string them into a sentence that is then read to the listener. This type of device gives the user the ability to communicate more complex thoughts or ideas, and it does not require the listener to be familiar with their communication style like the PECS. It can be customized and adapt with the user over time. However, this device is definitely more expensive to obtain and maintain, and the autistic individual capacity to use the device is a limiting factor.

There are many different software options to change a tablet or iPad into an AAC, but the two most common are LAMP and TouchChat.
If you or your loved one with autism has Georgia Medicaid, they may qualify to receive and AAC. Work with your Speech Language Pathologist and check with your Medicaid provider for more details.
Forbes AAC and AACFunding are both resources with information and assistance in received funding for an AAC.

For more information, see our Assistive Technologies Guide!

Article by: JT Exum and The Autism ToolKit