Myth: Autistic students don't know how to communicate
In this video, Deiera Bennett explains that autistic students are actually communicating all the time—we just have to meet them where they are by offering options, time, and understanding.
Transcript
Autistic students don't know how to communicate. The truth is they do. We just need to meet them where they are. Some autistic students are non-speaking or selectively speaking, um, while others use sign language, gestures, writing or technology, and some use spoken language. When we expect everyone to communicate the same way, we risk missing what they're trying to tell us.
So what can you do as an educator? Number one, offer options. Let them write, draw, type, or point instead of speaking. If they do speak, but it's difficult to understand or they're struggling to get the point across, try using sentence starters, visuals or allowing them to use technology.
Number two, give time. Some students need more processing before responding. Silence doesn't mean they're disengaged or that they don't understand or that they don't know the answer. When I was a general ed teacher, I wasn't taught much about neurodivergence. Many teachers want to support their students but haven't been given the tools.
That's why Social Cipher's PD is different. It's created by a neurodiverse team and it uses evidence-based practices with lived experience for training that's authentic, actionable, and effective. Learn more at socialcipher.com.
Follow us @socialcipher on TikTok and YouTube for more educator-focused videos about neurodivergence!
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