Autism is fundamentally a communication disorder.  “Communication” derives from the Latin word, “communicare,” which means “to make common.” “Autism” is a word of Greek origin, deriving from the word “autos,” which means “self.”  The goal of this workshop series is to adapt effective debate techniques to what we know are commonautistic speech patterns to help autistic individuals better translate their needs and be better understood.

Debate is fundamentally a communication sport.  The art is in being able to use certain oratorical techniques to persuade others.

The Find Your Voice Autism Debate Workshop^TM was developed based on a review of autism behavioral research and familiarity withdebate strategies that win.

Sensory Self-Regulation

An impediment to effective communication with autism is often the difficulty that some autistic individuals have with overstimulation, which can create sensory overload and emotional dysregulation.  The “Lights Out” Listening Workshop was specifically designed to help autistic individuals regulate their own overstimulation by voluntarily shutting down one sensory channel.

Using,  Rather than Discouraging, Unique Autism Communication Characteristics

Autism research shows that individuals on the autism spectrum struggle with making themselves understood and donot always appear to react in typical ways to what others say.  The inability to process signals or to be understood has been linked to increased social isolation as autistic children mature.  Increased social isolation isassociated with a higher likelihood of behavioral issues, poorer responses to treatment, and even psychiatric diagnoses.

The following are just some examples of what research has identified as atypical communication characteristics (“ACCs”) in the autistic population.  These include:

• Echolalia (repetition of last words or phrases heard)
• Odd prosody (sing-song voice or atypical speech intonations)
• Repetition of words or phrases
• Limited facial expressions

However, many of these traits that are considered atypical, if used correctly, can actually be strengths in debate.   For example, repetition (known as echolalia) can be very effective at driving home an argument.  Repeating an adversary’s argument can also be an effective tool to refute it.