Chapter 3: Small Talk How are you? What’s the weather like where you are? What did you get up to at the weekend? Small talk is a non-autistic norm – a quick exchange of niceties to make those engaged in conversation feel more comfortable. However, some autistic people struggle with small talk. If you are autistic it may take longer to put your thoughts into words, so if you add in a whole layer of unnecessary chit chat that you hadn’t planned for, it can become all too much to process. Many autistic people may use up all their energy answering questions that non-autistic people don’t place much value on. Next time you speak to an autistic person, try skipping the small talk and get right to the point, it will make for a more productive conversation all round.
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