Drawing on anthropology, linguistics and his own lived experience, new research from Dr Gerald Roche is challenging existing assumptions about autistic communication.
“Research into autism tends to be dominated by psychology and other allied health disciplines and, until recently, most studies have looked at autistic communication as something that needs to be fixed,” he explains.
At the centre of Dr Roche’s interdisciplinary research is the concept of autistic linguistic justice, a framework for working towards equality between autistic and non-autistic ways of using language.
“This approach advocates for equal respect, equal support and equal participation,” he says.
Dr Roche is now exploring how misunderstandings of autistic communication can contribute to bullying and other forms of violence.
“As part of this, I worked with a team of La Trobe researchers to prepare a submission to a government inquiry about bullying. Autistic students experience very high levels of bullying, but hopefully our recommendations can contribute to changes that help reduce this.”
While still in the early stages, Dr Roche hopes his research will help provide a new perspective on autistic communication.
“I would like to help autistic adults advocate for their needs and encourage others to better understand, accept and accommodate autistic ways of communicating.”
