My guest this week, Dr. Ashley de Marchena, is on a mission to give communication strategies to autistic people and their non-autistic communication partners. We had a great conversation that covered a lot of different tips and advice to improve communication.

You will learn:

• How non-autistic people can be better communicators to autistic people
• Ways to check in to make sure you are being understood in a conversation
• What research says about teaching autistic kids multiple languages

Follow-up Questions:

• Can you do a check in the next time you’re in a conversation?
• How can you give more time in a conversation?
• How can you reduce assumptions in your communication?

Guest Bio:

Ashley de Marchena is an Associate Research Professor in the Early Detection and Intervention research program at the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute. Her research focuses on two distinct but related topics in autism: (1) understanding communication skills and experiences across the lifespan, and (2) diagnostic decision-making. Dr. de Marchena is a licensed psychologist in the state of Pennsylvania, with clinical expertise in early autism diagnosis, and is highly motivated to integrate her clinical experiences with her empirical work. Dr. de Marchena collaborates regularly with autistic scientists and community members, with the goal of conducting research that is valuable and accessible to members of the autistic community.

Dr. de Marchena received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Connecticut. She then completed her clinical internship, as well as clinical and research postdoctoral fellowships, at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She is currently leading an NIH-funded project examining communication experiences related to nonverbal communication(for example, eye contact, hand gestures, tone of voice, and facial expression) in autistic adults.

Links:

• Drexel University Profile
• Google Scholar

Questions? Comments? Feedback? Email me at kevin@workingclassautistic.com