Talking Mats – An Autistic Perspective

Thank you to Gerard Wainwright – Clinical Educator at St Anne’s Charity in the North East of England and Talking Mats Licenced Trainer– for this personal blog where he reflects on Talking Mats and his autism.

Retaining Information

My Talking Mats journey started when I completed the Foundation Training last year. That day left me feeling enthused about the potential of using Talking Mats in my work but also led me to reflect more deeply on my own communication and the impact of adopting a Talking Mats approach in terms of my autism. 

In a situation where there is a lot to process, I often find it difficult to accurately recall the details. For many autistic people, their ability to retain information is affected when under pressure – we can experience delays in retrieving knowledge, or lose the ability to retain it altogether, because of stress, sensory overload or emotional intensity. This is a natural part of the way an autistic brain processes information. Both socially and professionally this can make situations in which neurotypical people often thrive, difficult for an autistic person to negotiate. For me, that’s been a lifelong challenge, particularly relating to many things I do in my work, such as giving a presentation, providing feedback in a group, or chairing a meeting. 

On the Foundation Training I was asked if I’d take the role of the Thinker with the trainer acting as Listener to demonstrate how a Talking Mat works.  We then discussed the process as a group; the trainer identified the importance of the Listener passing the Option card to the Thinker to place in their chosen column on the mat. Afterwards, I had no recollection of doing this. I was surprised, however, to realise that I’d not retained something so important when I thought I was focusing on the task. This incident acted as a moment of clarity in terms of understanding the impact my autism has and a valuable learning opportunity.  

Active Listening

One of the biggest lessons I took from that day was the importance of listening to understand rather than listening to respond. Being autistic, one of my communication strategies  is to concentrate on my response. When I’m speaking to someone, I often have a lot to deal with. This includes navigating the sensory aspects of my surroundings, coping with the expectation to make eye-contact, background noise, distracting visuals, and maintaining personal space, all of which make the concept of listening to understand a significant challenge. Prior to the Foundation Training I considered myself a good listener, but that day led me to review this assumption and consider more closely the obstacles I face in being an active listener. 

A Visual Framework

What Talking Mats provides me with as a Listener is a framework and an aid to memory. We know that the brain processes visual information more quickly than spoken words. Whilst words are ephemeral, to me at least, the picture remains on the mat as a constant reminder during the Talking Mat conversation. I naturally feel more comfortable with formality than informality. Clearly identified rules provide a structure and sense of permanence that I understand and can anticipate. It reduces spontaneity and the unexpected. Significantly, it decreases anxiety, which is at the heart of my inability to retain information in certain circumstances. I realise that to many neurotypical people this may sound unnatural – I’d argue that’s an assumption based on a neuro-normative viewpoint. Personally, it’s a lifeline and can support me to be a much more effective communicator and listener. 

Preparation and Predictability  

Autistic neurology often thrives on preparation and predictability. Talking Mats provides the structure, tools and format to support this. Training to become a Licenced Talking Mats practitioner has provided me with an approach and resource to support people with learning disabilities to be heard and have their opinions valued, to make more nuanced decisions, and achieve greater self-determination. It’s also provided me with a means to communicate in a way which supports and affirms my autism, the way I think and process information. It helps me to communicate more effectively, and crucially to feel safer within a predictable and comforting framework in which I can draw on my strengths, develop my listening skills and be my authentic self. 

Reasonable Adjustments

Monotropic brains often focus deeply on one thing at a time. This is an aspect of being autistic I really value, because it allows me to be highly effective in certain situations, complete projects on time, work autonomously, develop detailed knowledge, and bring a strong sense of passion to the things that are important to me – it’s a defining characteristic and forms a strong part of my identity and sense of self. However, this can also make shifting attention challenging, which I mitigate by creating time between assignments, tasks or even transitioning from work to home.  Time alone, even for a short period, helps if I’ve been around people for a significant time. I recognise the need to set boundaries and resist systems that weren’t built with autistic people in mind. I find that being clear with people often helps. If I’m given an opportunity to show the value I can bring, people are usually more accepting of any adjustments I may need. Being part of the Talking Mats community has created such an environment, as was demonstrated on the recent licensed training I undertook with the team at Stirling University.  

Empowerment

Talking Mats has, unexpectedly, provided me with a format and framework that enables me to develop and thrive as an autistic person. It helps me to anchor my communication, to self-regulate and reduce the cognitive load, to minimise potential anxiety, and creates a safe space which is ultimately empowering. It supports my strong belief in giving opportunities to people with learning disabilities to have a voice, to be seen, heard and valued, to make decisions and have agency.  

If you are trained in Talking Mats and would like to become a Licenced Trainer in 2026 you can

More information on Foundation Training can be found here