Senior Project Advisor
Kristen Chmielewski
Document Type
Project
Publication Date
Spring 2025
Keywords
autism, linguistics, assets-based, dialect, social media
Abstract
Speech patterns that are commonly associated with autistic individuals, like hyper-articulation, echolalia, and literality serve communicative functions that are often overlooked. These speech patterns are pathologized in allistic (non autistic) communities, causing indelible harm to everyone who internalizes the concept of a "lesser" form of language. Originally published as an Instagram campaign, this project works to decenter allistic normativity and reframe autistic speech variants through an assets based lens. With examples from popular media and research based in both scholarly and in-community perspectives, this work provides tools to autistic people that aid them in recognizing and valuing their language.
Department
Health and Human Development
Recommended Citation
O'Malley-Knudson, Rosie, "Talktistic: how autistic speech variants facilitate communication" (2025). WWU Honors College Senior Projects. 987.
https://cedar.wwu.edu/wwu_honors/987
Type
Text
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Included in
Communication Technology and New Media Commons, Disability Studies Commons, Linguistics Commons