Small talk and conversations can be really hard for autistic people. What are some areas you find difficult?
@autism101 @actuallyautistic I tend to avoid conversation in real life. Flight or freeze modes get engaged a lot, and if I've actually tried to have a conversation, it feels like it saps my energy for hours afterwards (unless it's with someone who shares a special interest of mine, in which case it can feel quite energising, especially if they're also autistic).
@FuchsiaShock @autism101 @actuallyautistic As a non-autistic person I cannot fully empathise but would like to know more about how I can help during conversations. I am a teacher and have lots of experience with teens and have learned some strategies but a lot of students I work with are quite high functioning so I don't always know how I can do it better.
@jellycrystals @FuchsiaShock @autism101 @actuallyautistic
#Autistic students are all individuals with their own strengths and difficulties. Get to know what works for each individual.
To be brief:- be literal, be precise, keep it short. Tell us what to do precisely. Go light on the criticism. Follow up instructions in writing.
@MarmadukeCWest @jellycrystals @FuchsiaShock @autism101 @actuallyautistic
Yes! Precision and detailed grading criteria. My #Autistic kid would melt down at assignments with "no wrong answer". There was no way for them to be sure their efforts would satisfy the teacher, so they preferred to not try and would simply just not do them at all.
@jkramersmyth @MarmadukeCWest @FuchsiaShock @autism101 @actuallyautistic There is one subject in particular I can work on a little with this. It is a philosophy-adjacent subject that is hard to set a exemplar/criteria for. My usual subjects are chemistry and math so all tasks have clear answers! I will see what I can do better. Thank you.
