HB Autism Summit
Autism Occupational Therapy
Resource Toolkit
Recognizing Unique Communication & Motor Differences in Autism
What Are the Unique Communication and Motor Differences in Autism?
“I understood everything people said and always did. I have no language processing issues at all. In fact, I understood language at a high level and read at an early age. The problem I have is motor, not cognitive.” – Ido Kedar
Autistic individuals may have motor differences which can impact their way of communicating and performing tasks. This section contains resources that describe some of the communication and motor differences autistic individuals may have, and how to best support them.
This study discusses burnout, inertia, meltdown, and shutdowns (BIMS)
Ido Kedar is an autistic-self advocate and a non-speaking autistic person who uses a voice-output typing device to communicate. This podcast explores Ido’s experience in therapies both before and after he could communicate, as well as his concrete advice on how therapists can be more respectful and effective when working with non-speaking clients on the spectrum.
With advances in AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication), involving both low and high tech approaches, nonspeakers voices are now being heard, and what they have to say is shattering erroneous stereotypes about those for whom speech is not their primary mode of communication
In this toolkit, Dr. Pat Mirenda, one of Canada’s leading researchers, describes the different types of AAC, what sort of considerations one should make when deciding on an approach to try, and refutes some of the myths surrounding AAC.
An autistic advocate explains some of the motor differences in autism, and their lived experience.