My Speech Style

Post Reply New Topic

As a 24-year-old with autism*, my communication style is pretty much the same both in speech and in writing. It is very formal and employs an extensive vocabulary as well as frequent adherence to the rules of grammar and technical usage. Upon hearing of my pedantic speech style, Cristi Walters, a social skills coach at Behavior Plus, Inc., commented that I could "speak lawyer" - and perhaps I could.

*Note: When I say "autism", I mean "autism spectrum disorder", or "ASD" for short - the new DSM-5 terminology for autism. When I need to specify the older definition of autism, as opposed to Asperger's syndrome or PDD-NOS, I say "classical autism".

I've noticed through listening to myself and others, both on and off the spectrum, that it seems like a fair number of us speak differently then usual. Not only using formal behavior but in what parts of words or sentances we express. I also met one girl who's writing actually matched her speach too (our works were read aloud for a creative writing course). It's really interesting.

You made several errors in your post:
The word like is not a conjunction; use as though or as if instead.
It's different from, not different than; however, more different than and less different than are appropriate.
It's whose writing style, not who's writing style; who's means who is or who has.
I recommend that you take a prescriptive grammar course before you take a creative writing course, if you decide to take the latter at all.

May be it's an expression of a strange way that you are but it's not a nice thing to correct others this way.
You should always keep in mind that many people here have problems with language processing and for many people here is English a secondary language only.

But as an reply to your post and your reaction. You seem to have problems with getting emotions from language and to establishing an emotional relation to your opposites once you are using the language. A common language transports a lot of emotions beside of just the words. It expresses in the used grammar as well as in the choosen words as in case of verbal language in the intonation. May be that you have just to care the intonation in relation to the mood of other people a little bit more.

May be I should it express a little bit different. Anymals and humans are using language to influence the behavior of others. Communication is not what you are saying but what others just get from it. Most people which aren't on the spectrum are less rational but totally emotional driven. For this you have to care their emotions and the way that they are. Emotions are expressing in body language as well as in verbal language. You have to care about it for getting others right and for not being misunderstood.

What was wrong with your correction? You thought it was just a nice thing to give RubyWings91 some hints about her errors. But what others may get if you are doing this is that you are disliking her at all and want others to dislike her too. Why? It's easy. People outside of the spectrum don't assume good but bad intentions in first step. That causes NTs to be very carefully with any criticism and for this they are often very indirect. Criticism in front of others is a common way for NTs to cause others to think bad about the one who is criticized. You should always do this a more private way or friendly ask whether he or she would like you to do it.

By the way: English is just a secondary language to me and if you find any errors in my postings you are allowed to keep them as a gift.