Respect our communication.

Everyone communicates in different ways, and allies help us find ways to communicate.

Some autistic people talk, and others don’t. Some autistic people talk differently than non-autistic people. Some of us use AAC. If you don’t know what AAC is, go to Chapter 3.

Some people use AAC all the time, while others go back and forth between AAC and talking.

Some people repeat things they’ve heard before, or talk for a long time. Some people use words that don’t seem to make sense, or show what they think by how they act.

No matter how we communicate, we all have something to say. Being an ally means listening to us, and taking what we say seriously. It means making sure other people listen to us.