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Have you ever tried to explain a software problem to someone? On the other side of the world? Who doesn't speak the same language? That's kind of what it's like for an autistic person to interact with mainstream society: They simply don't interpret visual and verbal cues the same way as most people.

Chris: "We think so differently that we sometimes say things that make no sense to others, but make perfect sense to us. Once in elementary school, we had a police officer give us Halloween safety tips (this was during the 'razor blades hidden in apples' scare). I raised my hand and asked, 'What if the house we are trick-or-treating at has a trap door? How do we handle that situation?' The cop told us that this was very unlikely to happen, which didn't answer my question. Later, my teacher told me that my question was inappropriate. I had no idea what the hell she was talking about."

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You see the problem: If we don't teach our children how to handle Scooby-Doo-style trap doors, we are literally letting our children down.

Hanna-Barbera

So how do you effectively communicate with someone with autism? Be blunt. Don't rely on nuance or social cues -- tell them exactly what you want.

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Carson: "My parents were blunt. They'd just say, 'Carson, you've got to end the story now.' It seems aspie kids operate on a sense of directness and logic. If you explain the logic of something rather than get them to try and pick it up themselves, it's better in the long run for them."