Social and Communication Differences

Neurodivergent students can find it difficult to communicate or express themselves in socially normative ways. This may be especially true if the person is feeling emotional or experiencing sensory overwhelm. These differences can manifest in various ways, including challenges with understanding social cues, processing language, maintaining eye contact, or adhering to conventional conversational norms. Please read our Double Empathy Problem article for more information.

What social and communication differences can look like

  • Not maintaining eye contact

  • Misinterpreting spoken communication, body language, and facial expressions

  • Not understanding indirect language or implied meaning

  • Difficulties with turn-taking

  • Social isolation

  • Not understanding social cues and placement expectations

  • Interrupting conversations inappropriately, or not interrupting when needed

  • Seeming shy and quiet, or noisy and disruptive

  • Challenges with working as part of, and bonding with, the team

  • Being perceived as rude or not listening

Potential impact on learning and engagement

The neurodivergent student may experience:

  • Reduced confidence and self-esteem

  • Difficulty speaking up when necessary

  • Difficulty effectively sharing learning and knowledge

  • Feeling socially isolated and excluded

  • Lack of peer support

  • Difficulties with navigating and resolving conflict

Examples of potential Reasonable Adjustments

  • Building supportive relationships with peers and supervisors may require additional effort and accommodations

  • Do not rely solely on body language or tone of voice in your communication

  • If something seems obvious to you, it might not be to the neurodivergent student — explain things explicitly

  • Support the student with a statement to use at the start of interactions, for example:
    “Just so you know, I personally find that I can concentrate much better when I don’t give eye contact. Please don’t find me rude — not giving eye contact helps me provide you with better care.”

  • Support the student to build self-advocacy skills