{"id":12586,"date":"2023-04-03T15:41:19","date_gmt":"2023-04-03T10:11:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aacvirast.com\/accNew\/accvirast\/?page_id=12586"},"modified":"2023-05-12T19:50:34","modified_gmt":"2023-05-12T14:20:34","slug":"communication","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/aacvirast.com\/accNew\/accvirast\/communication\/","title":{"rendered":"Communication"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"12586\" class=\"elementor elementor-12586\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-ef2dfaa elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"ef2dfaa\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-397c3f7\" data-id=\"397c3f7\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6cc3903 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"6cc3903\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.12.1 - 02-04-2023 *\/\n.elementor-heading-title{padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title[class*=elementor-size-]>a{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-small{font-size:15px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-medium{font-size:19px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-large{font-size:29px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xl{font-size:39px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xxl{font-size:59px}<\/style><h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Communication<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3176139 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"3176139\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<p class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Writer \u2013 Rachael Wiltshire<\/p>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-4e1030d elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"4e1030d\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-411923e\" data-id=\"411923e\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-13dfb5b elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"13dfb5b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.12.1 - 02-04-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=\".svg\"]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"712\" height=\"475\" src=\"https:\/\/aacvirast.com\/accNew\/accvirast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/ex-7.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-12737\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aacvirast.com\/accNew\/accvirast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/ex-7.png 712w, https:\/\/aacvirast.com\/accNew\/accvirast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/ex-7-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 712px) 100vw, 712px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-b10cad0 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"b10cad0\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-e5311d0\" data-id=\"e5311d0\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f99d22b elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"f99d22b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Introducing Communication<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7b0c532 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7b0c532\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.12.1 - 02-04-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p>Whilst traditional views of autism view communication difficulties as being a deficit on the part of\u00a0the autistic person, it is important to remember that communication is a two-way street. This is the\u00a0crux of the \u2018double empathy problem\u2019, which argues that autistic people experience social and\u00a0communication difficulties not because they are inherently deficient, but because both autistic and\u00a0neurotypical people struggle to empathise and communicate effectively with members of the other\u00a0group (Milton, 2012). In the decade since the \u2018double empathy problem\u2019 was first theorised, it has\u00a0been\u00a0supported\u00a0by\u00a0several\u00a0experimental\u00a0studies\u00a0(for\u00a0example,\u00a0Crompton\u00a0et\u00a0al.,\u00a02020a;\u00a0Crompton\u00a0et\u00a0al.,\u00a02020b;\u00a0Edey\u00a0et\u00a0al.,\u00a02016;\u00a0Rifai et\u00a0al.,\u00a02021).\u00a0Understanding\u00a0the\u00a0double\u00a0empathy\u00a0problem,\u00a0acknowledging that different people communicate in different but equally valid ways, and\u00a0recognising that both people in a conversation need to work together to arrive at a shared\u00a0understanding, will help tertiary educators\u00a0and\u00a0staff communicate\u00a0more\u00a0effectively\u00a0with their\u00a0autistic\u00a0learners.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-0c977fa elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"0c977fa\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-c6a0550\" data-id=\"c6a0550\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5512033 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"5512033\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Survey Findings<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f0f7acc elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f0f7acc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div><div>The autistic learners in our survey wanted compassion and patience from their teachers. Instead, they often felt they were misunderstood or judged when they approached tutors and lecturers with questions or requests for accommodation. One student pointed out that it is worth assuming people\u2019s questions and concerns are genuine, stating that \u201ccompassion when people ask for extensions, and assuming that everyone is trying their best, would go a long way.\u201d Another student acknowledged that they sometimes struggled to articulate exactly what they needed, but pointed out that patience would enable them to figure that out: \u201cI don\u2019t always know or can\u2019t always communicate properly what my problems are and how it can be helped. All I want is patience and understanding as I figure that out.\u201d<\/div><div>\u00a0<\/div><\/div><p>One communication challenge learners commonly experienced was in understanding exactly what exam\u00a0and assignment questions were asking, with one student stating \u201cmy biggest challenge was understanding\u00a0exactly what was being asked, and then working out how they wanted the question answered, especially\u00a0without the weird tangents\/links that I saw with stuffs [sic].\u201d Many learners saw their unique perspective\u00a0and ability to make links that others might not as a strength that they brought to their tertiary education;\u00a0thus,\u00a0when\u00a0learners\u00a0do\u00a0seek\u00a0to\u00a0clarify what assignment\u00a0questions\u00a0mean,\u00a0it is\u00a0important\u00a0to remember that learners are genuinely uncertain about what the assessor will be looking for and are seeking help\u00a0because they care about doing well. Equally, it is important to hear how they interpret the question; their\u00a0perspective might raise ideas that had not previously been thought of! Unfortunately, learners were often\u00a0discouraged from asking questions, with one student saying that they were told by lecturers and tutors\u00a0\u201cstupid\u00a0questions\u00a0get\u00a0stupid\u00a0answers.\u201d<\/p><p>Finally, it is important to recognise that autistic learners will not always be comfortable communicating\u00a0using spoken language; some autistic people use alternatives to spoken language like sign language or\u00a0augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) to communicate, and even autistic people who do\u00a0speak can become selectively mute\u00a0which is an anxiety disorder in which a person who is otherwise\u00a0capable of speech becomes unable to speak when exposed to specific situations, specific places, or to\u00a0specific people. Some can find communicating in writing easier as it gives them more time to process\u00a0information. Both selective mutism and differences in processing speed presented challenges in the\u00a0tertiary learning environment. One student commented: \u201cI take longer than some to take in and process\u00a0information, which means I struggle in lectures and tutorials when we\u2019re expected to ask questions or\u00a0discuss materials on the spot.\u201d Speaking up in class was also a challenge for this student: \u201cTutorials\u00a0were hard when I was expected to speak up &#8211; I have selective mutism and am really triggered in those\u00a0situations- my mind just goes blank in those situations and I can listen and take in info really well but I\u00a0can\u2019t produce any language or ideas of my own in those instances. (Perhaps if I were able to write my\u00a0thoughts I would be able to contribute).\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-cd59ca6 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"cd59ca6\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-0c52ce4\" data-id=\"0c52ce4\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fb51d87 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"fb51d87\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">You Can Support Your Learners by:<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a38966a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a38966a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul><li><strong>Offering different options for learners to get in touch<\/strong>. Many of the learners in our survey preferredemail as a way of contacting lecturers and tutors, as this avoided the social anxiety and processing\u00a0speed issues that communicating face-to-face could cause. However, it is important to offer learners\u00a0different ways of contacting you: one student mentioned that they preferred to ask questions after\u00a0lectures,\u00a0as\u00a0otherwise\u00a0they\u00a0would\u00a0forget\u00a0to\u00a0email\u00a0and\u00a0ask,\u00a0and\u00a0sometimes\u00a0learners\u00a0will\u00a0find\u00a0it\u00a0easier\u00a0to have a message communicated for them by an advocate or wh\u0101nau member. Establishing clear\u00a0channels of communication means learners can feel comfortable asking questions and discussing\u00a0accommodations with you.<\/li><li><div><div><strong>Making expectations clear.<\/strong> Clearly communicating what will be expected of learners in the course, both in writing and during the first class of the year, helps to reduce anxiety and ensure learners can be successful in the course. This is particularly important in first year courses where learners may be new to the tertiary learning environment. Explicit instruction around things like attendance requirements, assignment deadlines, how to apply for an extension and where to go for extra support helps to ensure that everyone has the information they need to succeed.<\/div><\/div><\/li><\/ul><ul><li><strong>Recognising<\/strong><strong>that<\/strong><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><strong>learners<\/strong><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><strong>ask<\/strong><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><strong>clarifying<\/strong><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><strong>questions<\/strong><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><strong>because<\/strong><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><strong>they<\/strong><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><strong>genuinely<\/strong><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><strong>need<\/strong><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Many\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0learners in our survey had negative experiences when they sought clarification around what instructors\u00a0were looking for in assignments; they often felt like their concerns were dismissed or their perspective\u00a0was not\u00a0heard.\u00a0It is important\u00a0to\u00a0be compassionate\u00a0when\u00a0learners\u00a0ask for\u00a0clarification:\u00a0recognise<\/li><li><strong>Making previous exam questions available for learners to practise with. <\/strong>Learners also struggled tounderstand exactly what exam questions were asking for, with the added challenge that in an exam\u00a0situation they couldn\u2019t seek clarification. One solution to this problem is to make sure that there are\u00a0plenty of exam questions available for learners to practise with, and that the questions in the actual\u00a0exam are written in the same style. This means learners can familiarise themselves with what types of\u00a0answers each style of question is looking for, so that they have a better chance of correctly interpreting\u00a0the question in the exam.<\/li><li><p><strong>Offering different options for participating in tutorials. <\/strong>For learners who experienced selective\u00a0mutism or processed\u00a0information\u00a0more\u00a0slowly\u00a0than\u00a0others,\u00a0being expected\u00a0to\u00a0speak\u00a0in\u00a0tutorials\u00a0presented a major barrier. There are several solutions to this problem, however. One option is to allow\u00a0learners\u00a0to\u00a0participate\u00a0in\u00a0writing-\u00a0for\u00a0example,\u00a0they\u00a0could\u00a0bring\u00a0written\u00a0responses\u00a0to\u00a0the\u00a0questions\u00a0that will be discussed in the tutorial with them to class, write a reflection on what was discussed in the\u00a0tutorial after the class, and then hand that in. Another option would be to have one tutorial stream run as\u00a0an\u00a0online discussion board, instead of\u00a0a traditional\u00a0in-person class.<\/p><\/li><li><div><div><strong>Being willing to communicate with the student\u2019s family\/wh\u0101nau or other support people,if the student agrees to this.<\/strong> Autistic learners are, of course, adults, and so it is important to always communicate directly with them. However, some learners find it useful to have a support person to assist them to communicate &#8211; allow learners to bring a support person with them to meetings and include them in emails if the autistic student requests this<\/div><\/div><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-d48c61e elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"d48c61e\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-9b423c6\" data-id=\"9b423c6\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f7b8f83 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"f7b8f83\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Final Words<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-19faea7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"19faea7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Effective communication relies on both parties remaining front-of-mind when communicating with your\u00a0autistic learners. By listening with empathy and patience, you will contribute positively towards your\u00a0student\u2019s experience\u00a0of\u00a0tertiary education\u00a0and may also\u00a0encounter\u00a0an\u00a0interesting new\u00a0perspective.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Communication Writer \u2013 Rachael Wiltshire Introducing Communication Whilst traditional views of autism view communication difficulties as being a deficit on the part of\u00a0the autistic person, it is important to remember that communication is a two-way street. This is the\u00a0crux of the \u2018double empathy problem\u2019, which argues that autistic people experience social and\u00a0communication difficulties not because [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aacvirast.com\/accNew\/accvirast\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12586"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aacvirast.com\/accNew\/accvirast\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aacvirast.com\/accNew\/accvirast\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aacvirast.com\/accNew\/accvirast\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aacvirast.com\/accNew\/accvirast\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12586"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/aacvirast.com\/accNew\/accvirast\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12586\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16123,"href":"https:\/\/aacvirast.com\/accNew\/accvirast\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12586\/revisions\/16123"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aacvirast.com\/accNew\/accvirast\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12586"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}