Introduction
Have you ever thought that your child has a slightly different way of going about things? If you are a teenager or an adult, you might also have wondered this about yourself.
We wrote this blog to help families and young people to think about whether their style of thinking might be related to autism, and/or another developmental difference such as ADHD. You might hear people referring to autistic and/or ADHD minds as being ‘neurodivergent’. This can also include other presentations such as dyslexia and dyspraxia. ‘Neurodivergent’ means that a person’s thinking and/or communication style may be different from how many people think, or the ”neuromajority’.
Some differences that we notice in our children or in ourselves are as follows:
– Using and understanding language/a different conversational style
– Non-verbal communication (use of facial expressions, gestures, eye contact)
– Recognising and managing of emotions (in self and/or others)
– Challenges with developing, understanding and maintaining relationships
– Preferring sameness and/or repetition
– Movements that express joy, or that are used to calm/regulate emotions
– Sensory differences (a strong liking or dislike for sounds, tastes, textures etc)
Questions to consider
If you think that you may have noticed differences in some of these areas, but you are not quite sure if they fit, you might want to think about the following questions.
Have you noticed that miscommunications are common? If people don’t say or do exactly what they mean, does this create confusion?
If you or your child find it hard to understand what people are trying to say sometimes, a different communication style could explain why this happens. It may be that there is a specific difficulty with language, but it could also mean that you or your child have a more literal style of thinking. When we say things like “it’s raining cats and dogs”, this isn’t really what we mean, but this might feel confusing. Being able to pick up on and use subtle communication cues, attend to instructions, and remember multiple pieces of information are important skills in understanding and using language and in communicating more generally. If any of these feel difficult at times, it may be that a different communication style or profile may be able to explain what is happening.
Do you feel that you or your child would not naturally use expressions, gestures and/or eye contact as much as some other people might?
Using non-verbal communication may feel unnatural and/or uncomfortable for some autistic individuals and it may be more difficult to coordinate these actions with speech.
Do friendships and other social connections sometimes feel hard?
Autistic individuals often find it easier to engage with people who have a similar communication style to them. As most people fall under the category of ‘neurotypical’, this can create conflict where there is a mismatch. Autistic people may present with a more direct communication style, and this can sometimes be misinterpreted as rude. Neurodivergent individuals may also find social interaction more draining and prefer to, or need to, have more time to themselves.
Have you found that you and/or your child prefer things to stay the same or you that you enjoy repetition in activities? Is moving from one activity to another difficult?
This may take the form of wanting or needing to have a set routine and/or way of doing things. You may also notice that actions, words or phrases are repeated often. You or your child may have a strong interest in a specific activity or topic, and this is something that you or your child may want to engage in again and again, or talk about often. This could span a range of topics from dinosaurs to TV shows.
Does it feel harder for your child or for you to identify and manage your emotions at times? Is it difficult to know when you/they are hungry, thirsty, need the toilet? Do you/they seek out or avoid sounds, tastes, textures, light etc?
Autistic individuals may have more difficulty than others in recognising signs that their body needs something and/or that they are experiencing a specific emotion. This can make it harder to meet basic needs and to maintain control over emotions. It is exacerbated by the fact that some people are very sensitive to certain stimuli. You might notice a high level of avoidance and/or selectivity around food and clothes, you may witness some discomfort at certain sounds (hand dryers, blenders, hoovers, busy spaces), and/or a preference for dark spaces/long fringes/hats/sunglasses. Conversely you may notice you or your child seeks out stimulating experiences such as engaging in lots of movement, watching different patterns of light (possibly through fingers), loud music and/or strong tastes.
If you think that your child has a slightly different way of going about things, and/or presents with some of the attributes of autism above, The Gesher Assessment Centre, can provide a free initial consultation where you can find out more about the assessment process, and if assessment is right for you and your child. The Gesher Assessment Centre provides autism assessments for children and young people from 4-17 years of age, and these can be combined with investigations into ADHD, dyspraxia, cognitive skills and speech and language.
Written by:
Nikki Rockell Highly Specialist Speech and
Language Therapist at The Gesher Assessment Centre.
Further information: