Literal interpretation

Many (most?) autistic people have a much more literal manner of communication than Neurotypical people. This manifests in both understanding of spoken or written words, and outward expression of language.

In understanding what someone says, the literal meaning of what was said is taken as the intended message rather than any implied or tacit message that was actually intended to be conveyed. This means we don't read between the lines or 'get' subtle hints that the person is trying to drop. Examples:

• Not always getting the joke, confusion or taking seriously when someone is just kidding.
• Not realising that a manager is subtly criticising your work or hinting that you should be doing something differently.

In outward expression, the use of literal communication means we will tend to say exactly what we mean, without any implied message being intended. This can be seen by neurotypical people as being quite direct, blunt, or even rude, as they will infer a neurotypical underlying message intention to what was said.

Between fellow autistic people, literal communication can work very well, as both/all parties will be expressing/understanding on a compatible basis, and there is likely to be less ambiguity than might be present in an equivalent conversation between neurotypical people.