Autistic people often struggle with thinking about the words that they choose to say when expressing themselves. Others can struggle to find the words that they need to express, and this can be further complicated by anxiety or sensory overload. Understanding social norms and pragmatics can be challenging, therefore it is always important to learn to consider what and when is appropriate for something to be said in addition to all other navigational challenges necessary to navigate the outside world.

One outlining characteristic of being autistic is to just say what is on our minds without thinking before it is said. If what is said is not appropriate for the situation that it dictates, it can have a negative or even consequential effect on the individual. While at times there can be opportunities to correct the situation, it must also be understood that there are instances where this cannot happen.

It is also important to know in which situations it is appropriate to speak up or what specifically to discuss. Many times, as autistic people, we are often to raise concern when something does not seem right or there are things that we are unaware of or do not expect to happen. While it can be challenging to feel the need to speak up because of fear of danger, it is important to recognize when it is important to voice what is needed to be said in the way that is most appropriate for the situation.

Other issues can arise when arise when communicating with others that can be struggling for autistic individuals. This can include being eager to be a part of a conversation to express your thoughts on something by abruptly interrupting the conversation without being asked to. There are also the issues of being too personal about the individual or oversharing things with others or discussing things that are confidential. A characteristic of being autistic is wanting to do these things because it can be at times all that is being thought about without the ability to shift the train of thought to something that is safer to be said.

Personally, even though I can communicate effectively in many forms, there are still some situations in which it can be a challenge to know and understand when or what to say the things that need to be said. There can be times when others can be offended, but honestly it is something that is learned as every situation evolves into becoming ritualistic. By doing so, this will limit the challenges that autistic individuals face when navigating social situations to the point where issues will be limited to the ability to learn, grow, and reach more milestones as much as the person is able to or desires to.

While there have been challenges for me, progress continues to be made and the ability for myself to be able to move forward with my life is becoming more realistic.