Verbal Collaboration in Same- and Mixed-Neurotype Groups of Autistic and Non-Autistic Adults

Abstract

Background: Research suggests that some autistic adults communicate more effectively and build stronger rapport with other autistic individuals than with non-autistic people. This suggests that outcomes for autistic people in group settings may depend on the diagnostic composition of the group. Here, we examined verbal collaboration among autistic and non-autistic adults in same- and mixed-neurotype groups during a shared task.

Methods: We assigned 136 adults (73 autistic, 63 non-autistic) to 34 four-person groups: all autistic, all non-autistic, majority autistic, or majority non-autistic. To control for selective disclosure, an experimenter informed participants of their group’s diagnostic composition before the study without revealing individual diagnoses. Researchers video recorded groups during a 5-minute Jenga tower-building task, and participants reported their rapport with the group. Researchers transcribed and coded the videos for collaborative speech using a validated coding scheme.

Results: Preregistered analyses revealed that autistic participants expressed more positive opinions about the group and their own contributions than did non-autistic participants. Non-autistic participants expressed more negative group evaluations and elicited more building ideas. Participants in mixed-neurotype groups directed more negativity toward others than participants in same-neurotype groups. Autistic—but not non-autistic—participants verbalized more negativity in mixed groups. Exploratory correlations revealed links between aspects of collaborative speech and rapport.

Discussion: Autistic adults expressed greater overall positivity but expressed more negativity in mixed group settings. These findings support evidence that autistic people often experience better rapport in all-autistic groups and may be more sensitive to mixed group environments than non-autistic people.

Community Brief

Why is this an important issue?

Autistic and non-autistic adults often communicate in different ways, which can lead to misunderstandings that negatively affect autistic people. There is limited research on how autistic and non-autistic people work together in group settings. Gaining information about how autistic and non-autistic people collaborate may help improve autistic people’s well-being in educational, professional, and social settings.

What was the purpose of this study?

We compared how autistic and non-autistic people talk while collaborating on a group task. We also explored whether autistic people talk differently when collaborating with other autistic people compared with when they are collaborating with non-autistic people.

What did the researchers do?

We put autistic and non-autistic participants into groups of four. Sometimes these groups consisted of all-autistic people, sometimes all-non-autistic people, sometimes one autistic person with three non-autistic people, and sometimes one non-autistic person with three autistic people. Each group built a tower using Jenga blocks while being video recorded. We analyzed participants’ speech from the video recordings.

What were the results of the study?

Groups with all-autistic or all-non-autistic members had less negative speech than mixed groups. Autistic adults expressed more positivity than non-autistic participants but expressed more negativity when in groups with non-autistic participants.

What do these findings add to what was already known?

This is the first study examining autistic and non-autistic collaboration in group settings. Findings show us that autistic people communicate differently in mixed groups and feel more comfortable with other autistic people. This could mean that autistic people just enjoy interacting with other autistic people more, or they might have tried to fit in with a more negative tone to match the group norm in mixed groups.

What are potential weaknesses in the study?

The researchers did not have a large enough sample size to explore differences based on other factors such as gender or race. We also did not examine nonverbal behaviors, such as facial expressions or body language, which can differ between autistic and non-autistic people and could have affected how people collaborated.

How will these findings help autistic adults now or in the future?

Autistic people often interact personally and professionally with non-autistic people, and these results can help create more inclusive environments by promoting strategies for better communication, respect, and teamwork between autistic and non-autistic people.