Does anyone know if Toastmasters works for aspies?

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Mw99
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18 Oct 2007, 8:59 pm

I've been told a few times that I should join Toastmasters if I want to improve my oral communication skills. But the persons giving me that advice all missed one trivial detail: I am not NT.

Does anyone know if the average aspie is likely to benefit from Toastmasters?



dalhousie12
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18 Oct 2007, 9:11 pm

There's only one way to find out. Just give it a shot and think of it as a win win situation.
You give it a shot and you succeed with flying colors and put NT's to shame.
You give it a shot and you fail horribly.
In the end its a win-win situation as in either outcome you still had the courage to try something diffcult for you and can take a sense of pride in just trying to improve yourself as a person.
Stronger either way you can become.


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Papillon
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18 Oct 2007, 9:53 pm

Mw99 wrote:
I've been told a few times that I should join Toastmasters if I want to improve my oral communication skills. But the persons giving me that advice all missed one trivial detail: I am not NT.

Does anyone know if the average aspie is likely to benefit from Toastmasters?


99,

I speak from my 2 years experience being part of that speaker's club: get in there, participate, and dare yourself! You will have chances to test your own leadership and statesmanship skills to new heights in the most supportive setting you could ever get.

I too am an Aspie but with their education, I've noticed in myself a shift for the better in every aspect of my social life, including the dating game.

Give it a chance and good luck :D


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18 Oct 2007, 9:58 pm

I know an aspie who joined Toastmasters with great success! He's undiagnosed and has honed many adaptive skills over the years.


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Mw99
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18 Oct 2007, 10:00 pm

Papillon wrote:
Mw99 wrote:
I've been told a few times that I should join Toastmasters if I want to improve my oral communication skills. But the persons giving me that advice all missed one trivial detail: I am not NT.

Does anyone know if the average aspie is likely to benefit from Toastmasters?


99,

I speak from my 2 years experience being part of that speaker's club: get in there, participate, and dare yourself! You will have chances to test your own leadership and statesmanship skills to new heights in the most supportive setting you could ever get.

I too am an Aspie but with their education, I've noticed in myself a shift for the better in every aspect of my social life, including the dating game.

Give it a chance and good luck :D


What is Toastmasters like? Is it just about making public presentations?

I'd imagine some of the members are more advanced than others. What if you are pathetic? What if you run out of things to say during your presentation? Is it likely the other members will laugh at you? Do you think they'll be judgemental? I understand they are all there to improve their communication skills, but some must be more advanced than others.



2ukenkerl
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18 Oct 2007, 10:44 pm

You may have seen my posts about mensa. Well, TM and mensa have one thing in common. There is really no quality control, so to speak. Some Toastmaster groups are horrible and some, I hear, are good.

Mw99,

Toastmasters basically trys to have like dinner type meetings with people making a speech. It is almost like homework. The idea is to enunciate with NO fillers. You get dinged for any fillers(They make a sound for each one) It is also timed. They kind of score you, and give suggestions. I doubt the average person does well the first time, and some old timers don't seem to do well.

BTW my apologies if I didn't get everything right. The last time I was at such a club was like 7 years ago. That is basically how it works though.



9CatMom
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19 Oct 2007, 8:54 am

I was in Toastmasters for seven years (1992-1999) and enjoyed it. I held several offices and wrote an article for the Toastmasters magazine. I think it helped me a lot in terms of gaining confidence in employment.



Mw99
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19 Oct 2007, 9:21 pm

9CatMom wrote:
I was in Toastmasters for seven years (1992-1999) and enjoyed it. I held several offices and wrote an article for the Toastmasters magazine. I think it helped me a lot in terms of gaining confidence in employment.


But how did you fit in with the other members?



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20 Oct 2007, 9:22 am

For the most part, I fit in well. There were a few people who doubted my abilities because I wasn't very confident when I started out. I had more friends than detractors, however. Those in some of the highest positions weren't especially well-liked.



Cooper
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20 Oct 2007, 9:27 am

I used to know a guy who was almost certainly an undiagnosed Aspie who swore by Toastmasters.



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20 Oct 2007, 10:18 am

I've been wanting to go for quite some time - this time I'm going to do it!!



Papillon
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20 Oct 2007, 6:59 pm

Mw99 wrote:
What is Toastmasters like? Is it just about making public presentations?

I'd imagine some of the members are more advanced than others. What if you are pathetic? What if you run out of things to say during your presentation? Is it likely the other members will laugh at you? Do you think they'll be judgemental? I understand they are all there to improve their communication skills, but some must be more advanced than others.


99,

I'll try to answer as straight as I can: Toastmasters is an educational system about public speaking but also about developing your statesmanship and leadership skills as well as your self confidence in a laboratory-like setting.

Your personal advancement in the organization is proportional to your own participation, dedication, and continued seniority as you continue and maintain your tenure. It is entirely up to you how far you want to take it. The nicest thing about it is you get to do it at your own pace, set your goals to your likings, and there are no written-in-stone deadlines.

You will not be laughed at or judged. Every Toastmaster has had a point of entry at one time or another. Some members just stay a few months, some become lifetime members, and some will be with it for some years.

Have you visited a TM chapter in your area? Chances are you will be allowed, I think, 3 meetings for free and you will be encouraged to visit every TM club in your area to find which one best suits your schedule and needs.

Go ahead, give it a try :D


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It takes a man to suffer ignorance and smile
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Mw99
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20 Oct 2007, 7:10 pm

Papillon wrote:
Mw99 wrote:
What is Toastmasters like? Is it just about making public presentations?

I'd imagine some of the members are more advanced than others. What if you are pathetic? What if you run out of things to say during your presentation? Is it likely the other members will laugh at you? Do you think they'll be judgemental? I understand they are all there to improve their communication skills, but some must be more advanced than others.


99,

I'll try to answer as straight as I can: Toastmasters is an educational system about public speaking but also about developing your statesmanship and leadership skills as well as your self confidence in a laboratory-like setting.

Your personal advancement in the organization is proportional to your own participation, dedication, and continued seniority as you continue and maintain your tenure. It is entirely up to you how far you want to take it. The nicest thing about it is you get to do it at your own pace, set your goals to your likings, and there are no written-in-stone deadlines.

You will not be laughed at or judged. [Every Toastmaster has had a point of entry at one time or another. Some members just stay a few months, some become lifetime members, and some will be with it for some years.

Have you visited a TM chapter in your area? Chances are you will be allowed, I think, 3 meetings for free and you will be encouraged to visit every TM club in your area to find which one best suits your schedule and needs.

Go ahead, give it a try :D


if I am not going to be judged, how will I know what I am doing wrong? (This could be semantics - did you mean to say you won't be "condemned" or you won't be "assessed"? And If I am going to be assessed, what will that assessment consist of?)



Last edited by Mw99 on 20 Oct 2007, 7:14 pm, edited 2 times in total.

dalhousie12
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20 Oct 2007, 7:11 pm

This toastmasters sounds like it could be very benefical. I myself would like to improve my leadership skills. Is there any toastmasters chapters in British Columbia?

Mw99, i wish you the best of luck in your toastmasters endeavours. :D


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Papillon
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22 Oct 2007, 12:35 pm

Mw99 wrote:
if I am not going to be judged, how will I know what I am doing wrong? (This could be semantics - did you mean to say you won't be "condemned" or you won't be "assessed"? And If I am going to be assessed, what will that assessment consist of?)


99,

What you will get in your Toastmasters endeavors will be in the form of constructive criticism as well as excellent coaching and advice from the senior members. After all, Toastmasters provides the "laboratory" for testing / trying / improving your social skills -and hey, if I didn't like it myself, I wouldn't have had any more of it anyway.

dalhousie12 wrote:
This toastmasters sounds like it could be very benefical. I myself would like to improve my leadership skills. Is there any toastmasters chapters in British Columbia?


dalhousie,

Here's a link for doing a location search. I'm sure there is a club near you somewhere.

http://www.toastmasters.org/websiteApps/


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If "manners maketh man" as someone said
Then he's the hero of the day
It takes a man to suffer ignorance and smile
Be yourself no matter what they say

**Sting, Englishman In New York