Bridging the Gap: My Experience as an Autistic Adult with Conversations

Autistic communication thrives with clarity, patience, understanding, inclusivity, and mutual respect.

As an autistic adult, I often experience conversations differently from others. It’s important to understand that my perspective doesn’t represent everyone on the spectrum — autism is incredibly diverse. In this article, I’ll share some personal challenges I face in conversations, as well as how my communication style can enrich them. By fostering mutual understanding, we can make communication more inclusive and meaningful for everyone.

Nonverbal Communication: A Different Language

Interpreting nonverbal cues like body language, facial expressions, and gestures isn’t always intuitive for me. What might be a meaningful glance or a small gesture for someone else can feel vague or confusing to me. That doesn’t mean I’m uninterested; I actually pay close attention to what’s being said because words often give me more clarity than implicit signals. If you’re direct and explicit in your intentions, it makes our conversation much easier and more enjoyable.

Meaningful glances or gestures may feel vague to me, words often give more clarity