Understanding the autistic communication style

This project focused on reducing health inequalities for autistic people by understanding how autistic people's style of social communication differs from that of non-autistic people.

In a nutshell

Two women talking

Holly's PhD aimed to explore how autistic people communicate with one another, what sorts of communication behaviours feel natural to autistic people, and what autistic people feel causes problems when they talk to non-autistic people. Using this understanding, we hope to improve communication between autistic and non-autistic people by changing the way non-autistic people communicate.

About the project

Several recent studies have suggested that autistic people may communicate better with other autistic people than with non-autistic people. This in turn implies that there may be an autistic communication ‘style’, and that part of autistic communication difficulties is the mismatch between this style and non-autistic people’s style. However, we don’t currently know much about what this autistic communication style might look like. 

Holly's PhD consisted of four studies. Studies 1 and 2 were each online focus groups with a small number of autistic adults, asking them about their experiences with socialising and communicating with other autistic adults vs. non-autistic adults. Study 3 was an analysis of an existing dataset, looking at how well autistic and non-autistic observers can guess whether people in various social contexts (two autistic people interacting; two non-autistic people interacting; an autistic and a non-autistic person interacting) are autistic or not, from photographs and videos. Study 4 was an ethnographic study of autistic adults with high support needs, and their interactions with one another and (primarily non-autistic) staff in day support services. 

Holly also produced some theory development work that built on Dr Damian Milton’s double empathy problem, focusing on why interactions between autistic and non-autistic people seem to be so difficult for both parties.

Outputs

As well as the listed publications below, this project was a partnership with Scottish Autism, which helped us deliver benefits for the autistic people who use their services by suggesting ways to improve communication between staff and supported people.

Primary project contact

Holly Sutherland

For further details of publications and presentations relating to this research, please visit Holly's personal website.

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