Non-verbals and barely verbals..

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I have so much curiosity about those diagnosed on the spectrum about why you are non-verbal. Are you just not able to spit out the words, but think them? Is it a choice? Does talking stress you out?

Are you able to type your thoughts whereas speaking them may be a challenge? This has been quite a fascination of mine. And more so after joining this site.

I never thought that so many people diagnosed on the spectrum would be able to express themselves so well on the computer. Some of you guys are amazing with the level of thought and intelligence.

So, if you dont mind giving me a little background on your speaking, I'd love it.

I'm usually able to speak, but you might like this web site--
http://ballastexistenz.wordpress.com/

It's the blog of one of our WP members, anbuend. She's nonverbal and types to communicate. And she likes cats, which is always a plus in my book

I think many of us who can usually speak have occasionally had the experience of not being able to initiate language. I know that with me when I'm very overwhelmed, it's like I just can't think of how to speak--like the possibility isn't there anymore. Usually, I just kind of stand there, frozen, until something in my brain clicks and I can put my meltdown strategies into practice. Sometimes I can get around it by "writing" the words in my head, and then "reading" them to speak. I dunno if temporary speech loss is anything like not being able to speak most of the time; but maybe the people who can speak and those who can't aren't as different as we might think? Maybe, if you can't speak, there's just a lower threshold for the language freeze... But there are so many reasons why language might not be available, or speech not available. It's really still being researched.

When very stressed, I lose speech. Sometimes after melting down and crying very hard, I feel as if I can only think in pictures, and have forgotten how to verbalize.
The rest of the time, I talk excessively, even to myself if nobody is around. I also write. I find that when I am tired, I can communicate better via writing than I can verbalizing.

This happens to me sometimes. The words are there but they don't come out. Extremely frustrating.



I do much better on a computer than if I have to write by hand. If I have to write by hand, I can't get anything out. Sitting at a computer, I can type away merrily; words just flow.

I lose speech frequently. Right now I am nonverbal about half the time, maybe a bit more. When I am verbal, I tend to speak in... hm... echolalia, Lydia-ese, etc. My language is a bit unusual.

I don't know why I lose speech. It's happened since I was very young. When I lose speech, I can't hum or anything else. Sometimes, I'll open my mouth to speak to the cat or call my mom, and all I'll get it is "kitty cat" or last night, "meow," when that's not at all what I expected to come out.

To an extent, I'm learning to be crafty about it and never talk unless it's necessary, and that way, when it is necessary, I have words... but this plan doesn't always work. In fact, it doesn't even work that well... but it's better than nothing, by a bit.

I don't know if I'm half non-verbal or not. Whenever I'm comfortable I have no issues with speaking.

But sometimes, especially when I'm talking to people my age, I get so nervous I really just don't know what to say. Neurotypical teenagers are so judgmental I can hardly believe it, and knowing this only makes things worse. It's more like I know what to say and how to say it, but I don't know whether or not I should say it. I don't know how the person is going to react, and I spend all my time thinking ahead like I'm playing a game of chess. I usually end up not saying anything at all.

But other times, I can be quite the talker. Once I get the first word out, it's like my brain stops caring about what people think and I just speak my mind. This is when I usually get in trouble though, because in situations like this, it generally includes pointing out just how stupid people are. "No, what the hell are you thinking, ret*d? The force of friction needs to be accounted for in both directions!"