Social and communication needs including autism

Social communication is the way we use language and non-verbal cues for picking up on unspoken social rules and to share thoughts, emotions, and experiences with others. It includes:

Verbal (speech): tone, intonation, emphasis and volume.

Non-verbal (body language): using and understanding gestures, using and interpreting facial expressions, using eye contact, posture, touch and awareness of personal space. When someone has social communication needs, it means they experience ongoing challenges with using verbal and non-verbal communication in social situations. This can affect their ability to:

• Know how to respond appropriately in conversations, might not realise that it’s their turn to speak in a conversation or may interrupt frequently when to ask or answer questions.
• Understand social cues, such as facial expressions, tone of voice, or body language.
• Use or sustain eye contact.
• Interpret non-literal language, like sarcasm, jokes, or idioms.

Examples of social communication challenges:

• Adapting to different social situations: a child may struggle to adjust how they speak when talking to a teacher versus a friend.
• Understanding unspoken social rules: they may have difficulty adapting to the topic and audience including appropriateness.
• Reading between the lines: they may take phrases literally (e.g. “pull your socks up” might be seen as a request to physically adjust their socks).

How do social communication needs impact daily life?

Social communication needs vary widely, but they can affect:

• Friendships and relationships: difficulty making or keeping friends due to misunderstandings or social anxiety.
• Education and learning: struggles with group work, classroom communication and expectations, or following instructions.
• Employment: challenges understanding workplace social norms or interpreting feedback.

Social communication needs and autism

For some people, social communication needs can lead to a social communication difficulties (SCD) diagnosis. This can occur on its own or alongside other neurodivergent conditions such as autism.

Autism

Autism is a lifelong neurological difference that you are born with. It can become noticeable at different stages of life. It is not an illness; there is no cure/medical treatment for autism but that does not mean support is not available. You may need to approach things differently and with the right support and adjustments, autistic individuals can thrive.

Autism is a spectrum condition, meaning each autistic person is unique. While there are shared characteristics, every individual has their own strengths, challenges, preferences just like everyone else. No two people are the same.

Autism (or autism spectrum disorder, ASD) affects how people:

• Think
• Communicate
• Experience and respond to sensory input

Some people may need a lot of support in certain areas, while others may need a little.

Common experiences for autistic individuals

These can vary widely, but often include:

• Struggling with small talk or reading unwritten social rules.
• Preferring routings, predictability, and deep interests.
• Difficulty adapting how they communicate depending on the situation or person.
• Being uncomfortable using or maintaining eye contact.
• Misunderstanding humour, sarcasm, or nonliteral language.
• Finding group conversations confusing or overwhelming.
• Being very honest or direct which can be perceived as being rude or abrupt.
• Challenges making or keeping friends.
• Difficulty understanding what others are thinking or feeling (theory of mind).
• Struggles with classroom routines or peer cooperation.
• Blurting out or going off-topic during conversations.
• Using gestures or pointing to communicate.
• Difficulty with retelling stories or following plots.
• Lacking in confidence, self-esteem or assertiveness, especially in social settings.
• Difficulty identifying their own emotions (alexithymia).