How to explain part-verbal.

Post Reply New Topic

..aa...

Amen to pretty much everything animalcrackers said. If I could go around writing my responses to people rather than just choking something out, I would be fine. Unfortunately, that's not an option. At least not for every situation. My writing skills are a thousand times better than my verbal skills.

Augmented and/or Alternative Communication. It can refer to a wide variety of communication systems. Most commonly the user either touches a picture or a word that is then spoken.

I typically use mine only to organize my thoughts. Organization of verbal thought is something I've never been able to do well in my mind. Recent work with my speech therapist, continued use of a particular app, and a medication change have made me more verbal than ever. When I use AAC, I either organize the thought and then read it aloud or press the "read aloud" button. It depends on my audience. My default is to read it aloud. Using by the time I've organized the thought, I don't actually want to say it anymore...but that's a small annoyance and others do prefer to hear my voice. A few select people have told me it's fine to hear the automated voice. I find I communicate with them more. It seems that I may have been taking for granted the positive response I've had.

I do think having them experience communication difficulties *between* us (not just on my side alone, if that makes sense) has been helpful in aiding their acceptance. I guess, in other words: is the other person aware of what they are missing from you?

When it is presented as, "have garbled conversation with me or have a real conversation with me using an alternative method", my experience has been very positive.

I see in your signature that you have autism and schizophrenia. Both can contribute to speech issues. In the case of schizophrenia--speech difficulty can be progressive, so the providers you are (or someone is) paying to help you really SHOULD be aware of this. Don't accept sub-par communication with them. Find a way to express that to fully participate in your care, some of your communication needs to take form in non-verbal ways. Find an advocate if need be.

With other (nonprofessional) people, I would be more empathic with them. They are human, too, after all. It may be true that your father believes that it is in your best interest to speak and that allowing alternative methods--to him--may give him fear that he is losing communication with you. That can be very frightening. If your relationship with him is otherwise healthy, you may have to find middle ground for awhile while you both deal with your personal understandings of the matter.

At any rate, best of luck. And I do understand the frustration you feel.

This may be too personal; please ignore if you find it so.

Do you experience "thought blocking"?

I was recently considered for a diagnosis of disorganized schizophrenia and one of the reasons was that I seemed to be showing signs of this (through the pattern of my speech). It was ultimately decided that I did not.

I have been curious of any crossover issues in this area (in particular because antipsychotic medication seems to have a consistent effect on my speech).

That's an interesting perspective.

I will tell my care coordinator by email that I need allowances made for my communication. I think that giving her a typed letter at the beginning of an appointment with the salient points to read, and then listening to her advice would work. Any questions I have can be brief and spoken or written down.

Yes ddefinitely good analogies there. The 24 hour exhaustion is something I shouldn't be put through.

I do get thought blocking at times (maybe a few times a day?). I am beginning to wonder too if my autism and schizophrenia combined are making speech so hard. Antipsychotics actually increase my cognitive abilities and dull down my anxiety, as well as reducing my psychosis. Don't know about how it affects my speech though.

As for my dad, he's not overly talkative himself so I'm sure he won't mind. We don't often see each other. So most of our contact is text and email (international calls are expensive).

My parents just tell people I have a great deal of difficulty talking. I'd say it's a 3 way split between neurological (autism) psychical (dyspraxia) and psychological (selective mutism)

I can try but people don't always get it. I get responses like "talking is like therapy, it's a good way to get things off your chest, you need to talk to people to feel better" (mum) and "but you're so intelligent, talking should be easy for you" (pseudo-psychiatrist who obviously needs to go back to his textbooks).

People assume that because I'm a uni student at a top-rate university and I've got a stellar academic record, I don't struggle with normal things. I can't follow a recipe alone. I have great trouble crossing the road (I've been hit by cars before and caused near-accidents many times). I need a full-time support worker at uni. I cannot handle things like my finances, calling people in the phone, looking after the house. ETC ETC I get so infuriated by people who assume that I'm totally self-sufficient when I'm quite the opposite.

End rant.

I have no issues with talking with people I know well and like. When it comes to speaking with strangers, I have a "memory bank" of conversations that will get me through tasks such as ordering a takeaway or a taxi as long as the responses are the ones I have come across before. I hate using the telephone and it took me over 10 years to be able to order a taxi over the phone without stammering and hanging up before I had actually finished the conversation. When I am stressed or anxious, I prefer to type and my previous manager allowed me to type comments in my supervisions that referred to aspects of the job I was struggling with or staff members I didn't get on with so well after we had a conversation about this. If AAC helps you, carry on using it. I find the assertion that intelligent people should be able to speak fluently at all times a ridiculous one which makes no sense to me.

Thanks. I've done roleplay with my friend for booking taxis and ordering pizzas etc but whenever the conversation deviates from what I expect it to be, I freak out.

I hate that assumption about intelligent people too.

My neighbour said to me (my name being replaced by O here) "O, you are an intelligent girl so why can't you organise the removal of your dad's car?"

It's pointless getting my support worker to explain my autism to her so I just don't answer to her anymore.