Study: Everyone Unconsciously Adapts Their Communication for Children—Including Autistic Adults

Study: Everyone unconsciously adapts their communication for children—including autistic adults

When you talk to a child as an adult, you unconsciously change the way you speak. It is often thought that such adjustments are more difficult for autistic people, but new research shows that this group is initially just as good at it as their non-autistic peers. However, while neurotypical participants gradually adjust to these changes during a conversation based on new signals, autistic participants stick to their initial assessment. Researche…

Everyone unconsciously adapts their communication for children - including autistic adults

10.02.2026 - When you talk to a child as an adult, you unconsciously change the way you speak. It is often thought that such adjustments are more difficult for autistic people, but new research shows that this group is initially just as good at it as their non-autistic peers. However, while neurotypical participants gradually adjust these changes during a conversation based on new signals, autisti