The Dynamics of "Communication"

The DSM criteria for Autistic Disorder includes "qualitative impairments in communication." But the word "communication" is typically taken for granted without definition. Communication has a mathematical definition, which can be visualized in the image above. A sender has a message which she transmits through a channel to a receiver. During transmission, noise may distort the original message. The receiver decodes the message and then he feeds back to the sender. While this is a formal model, it is considered an accurate, if simplified, representation of communication between people.

This is easily illustrated with a telephone conversation. Jane sends her message into the phone with her voice, the message is transmitted through the channel of the phone lines where it may get garbled by static, and then the message is decoded by John's ear and brain on the other end. John then responds to the message, which may influence the next action Jane takes. It's a feedback loop.

The message in communication is comprised of a language. Some examples of language are English which can be written or spoken, British sign language which is gestural, and bliss symbolics which is graphical. Both the sender and receiver need to encode and decode information in the same language. Imagine if Jane sends a message in English, but John only understands French.

The mode of communication relates to the channel the message is transmitted through. In the telephone example, that mode is speech. Of course there are many other modes including writing, gestures, images, non-speech utterances, complex behavior, and the manipulation of physical objects.

Communication also involves time. In the case of the telephone conversation, transmission and reception occurs synchronously, or "in real time." Meaning that the message passing between communication partners is synchronized send receive, send receive, send receive. If instead of the telephone our two communicators were using email, message passing would be asynchronous. John may respond to several additional messages from Jane before he decodes and responds to the first message Jane sent.

Communication is dynamic. It is an active relationship. Communication is not something an autistic person does or does not do. Communication is something that people do or do not do together. In order to have effective communication, all parties in the relationship are responsible for keeping the communication flowing.