Communication Issues in Autism and Asperger Syndrome: Do we Speak the Same Language?

Providing a theoretical foundation for understanding communication and language impairments specific to autism, Olga Bogdashina explores the effects of different perceptual and cognitive styles on the communication and language development of autistic children. She stresses the importance of identifying each autistic individual's nonverbal language with a view to establish a shared means of verbal communication. She offers an explanation of why certain approaches, for example PECS, might work with some autistic children but not others. Offering real in-sights, the 'What They Say' sections enable the reader to see through the eyes of autistic indi-viduals and to understand their language differences first hand. 'What We Can Do to Help' sections throughout the book give practical recommenda-tions on what to do in order to help autistic individuals use their natural mechanisms to learn and develop social and communicative skills.