This work supports our working hypothesis that human communication is not simply an exchange of information using already known words and gestures, but a deeply interpersonal and innovative process that involves the creation of a Shared Cognitive Space (our 2016 Trends in Cognitive Sciences paper). Building more bridges to the clinical domain, this study provides evidence indicating that the problematic communication in autism arises from an inability to produce and comprehend communicative behaviors in light of past interactions with specific partners.