ALT Panel 1: Conversation is one of the most difficult things for me as an autistic person. Over time, I've become very good at masking my autism and I've learned some strategies that see me through most conversations. Let's talk about some of them now! Panel 2: My most successful and meaningful conversations are a result of asking good and interesting questions. Good and interesting questions are usually very specific to the situation so it's hard to script them ahead of time, but even having a basic arsenal prepared is helpful. For example: How do you feel about it? Was it difficult? Could you tell me more about it? What have you been up to lately? What do you like about it? Panel 3: I can't stand awkward silences and lapses in the conversation. I've found it's best to avoid giving one-word answers. They don't give the other person anything to work with and are likely to end in an uncomfortable silence. Person 1: Cool. Person 2: Come on, throw me a freaking bone here...

ALT Conversation doesn't come naturally to me at all. I'm always consciously running through a list of processes or following a script. I think many neurotypicals and allistics do this subconsciously but for me, the process is deliberately learned and takes a conscious effort to implement. Diagram of a flow chart: Who are you talking to? Aquaintance, stranger, friend. Are you going to see them again. If yes, how long do you have to talk to them for? If the conversation has a fixed end point, prolong the conversation until time runs out by asking them questions about themselves. The main goal is to avoid all awkward silences. It is easier to ask questions than answer them and people like to talk about themselves. Even talking to people I've known for years can still be difficult. I pay very close attention to what people say so that I can ask them questions about it and keep them talking. This framework is very useful to me even if allistics might think that it sounds weird!