A (Brief?) Lil' Questionaire

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1. Problems with fluency, vocal quality and loudness, and the pronunciation and clarity of speech

Yes, especially clarity and loudness.

2. Problems with the strength and coordination of the speech muscles

I don't know but I can tell you I was in speech classes as a child.

3. Problems with the understanding and use of vocabulary ( semantics ) and understanding and use of grammar ( syntax ) are evaluated.

Sometimes.

4. Problems with the understanding and answering both yes-no (e.g., Is your name Bob?) and Wh- questions (e.g., What do you do with a hammer?).

NOo

5. Problems understanding extended speech. You listen to a short story or factual passage and answers fact-based (the answers are in the passage) and inferential (the you must arrive at a conclusion based on information gathered from the reading) questions about the material. (Problems with either of these.)

Yes


6. Inability to follow directions that increase in both length and complexity.

very much so.

7. Inability to tell an extended story ( language sample ) both verbally and in written form.

only verbally, have no problems with writing.

8. Difficulty telling the steps needed to complete a task or telling a story, centering on a topic and chaining a sequence of events together?

yes

9. Problems describing the "plot" in an action picture?

yes

10. Is your narrative often difficult to follow (not due to the subject of narrative)?

I don't know. I don't understand what is being asked.

11. Difficulty recalling the words needed to express ideas?

Sometimes

12. Problems with expressing yourself in complete sentences, telegraphic sentences or phrases, or single words?

Sometimes

13. Slurred speech, difficult to understand or even unintelligible?

Sometimes

14. Problems with social communication skills ( pragmatic language )

Yes

15. Inability to interpret or explain jokes, sarcastic comments, absurdities in stories or pictures (e.g., What is strange about a person using an umbrella on a sunny day?).

Sometimes

16. Difficulty with initiating conversation and conversational topics, taking turns during a discussion, and expressing thoughts clearly using a variety of words and grammatical constructions.

Often

17. Inability to clarify communication when your conversational partner does not understand.

Often

18. Reading and writing of letters, words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs.

I don't understand what is being asked.

19. Oddities in the quality of the language expression, accuracy of spelling, and letter formation and spacing of words and letters on the page.

Yes

20. Difficulty swallowing (as needed)

Sometimes. This one is really aggravating.

21. Inability to use an augmentative or alternative communication aid (as needed)

N/A

I was gonna ask if that list was describing something specific. I've been really interested (obsessed at times) about autistic communication problems in general but especially the issues that I have myself.

As for your list, #2 - problems with coordination of speech muscles (have you looked into verbal dyspraxia?) - sometimes I have problems with that especially if I'm overloaded. I know what I want to say but I can't spit it out - there's a hesitation (that seems like an eternity) before the words start coming out.

#10 - narrative difficult to follow - sometimes. I think a lot of that is because my thinking is so highly visual, and I also seem to hit things from weird angles in general. I'm always confusing people when I'm trying to talk to them - it's normal for me to have to explain/rephrase things.

#14 and 16 - social communication and initiating conversations - definitely a problem for me. I can initiate conversations and talk to people if I have something fact or information-based to say, but social stuff is very difficult. Most of the time I know in my mind what I'm *supposed* to say but the communication just doesn't happen.

Another big one for me (that wasn't on the list) is anomic aphasia - problems with word retrieval. Words (simple names of objects) will suddenly vanish from my vocabulary when I'm in mid-sentence so I end up using gestures or describing the object instead, only for the word to return a minute later when it's too late.

Yep. Aphasia. I know there's different kinds and I would in future like to see if especially expressive aphasia is common amongst Aspies and maybe even receptive aphasia at times. I don't think these aphasic-like symptoms are comorbid with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder. I think they're likely part of it.

I've noticed a lot of these qualities while talking to autties in person and in chat rooms. Which is why when I happened to start reading into Aphasia and found the similarities to myself and others especially in the expressive category, I've been obsessed since.

It's absolutely fascinating. Perhaps there's some common Broca's Area damage inherent in many autties by definition. I mean, communication problems are part and parcel of an ASD. And they are controled by the same areas/functions in almost every brain. Why does ours not involve Broca's Area or even Wernicke's Area (receptive), too???

Maybe one of the main differences between an ASer and an HFAer is the difference within those areas. Maybe HFAers are more effected in Wernicke's Area or more in those language areas in general. And the rest is almost identical.

Your thoughts mirror exactly what I've always considered to be the main difference between AS and HFA. There is definately a problem with expressive language, and although AS and HFA both share symptoms of Aphasia, there is something else not covered by that label in HFA. I think the difference is to do with the way the mind translates thoughts into words. I've always described it as trying to get a particular drop (word) from an ocean (of words). Like, your entire vocabulary is pooled together, indexed by a system of key words. This system is almost a conscious system. Whilst great for retrieval and understanding, it doesn't work well the other way round. You can easily find something given the coordinates, but it's a lot harder to find the coordinates when you only know the item. I haven't met many other autties, so I wonder if this is consistent with your experience of autties. We're respondents; we're not spontaneous speakers, because it's a lot easier for others to provide the coordinates or keywords, and then use that as a reference point for our own thought->word translation. That is the big difference, I think.
I think, too, that it gives rise to the conception that Autties aren't interested in socializing. Much of socializing is based around talking and nonverbal language; that makes us pretty much purely receptive. Our, or at least my, idea of socializing is just completely different; just being there is good.

I have the same problem. I actually have a lot of problems with my spoken language that don't show themselves in my written language.

I suppose I'll go ahead and answer my own list.

1. Problems with fluency, vocal quality and loudness, and the pronunciation and clarity of speech

Sometimes. Stuttering is a problem for me sometimes as well as just generally tripping over words. And my voice often has a monotone quality to it or a lack of control when I get "humorous".

2. Problems with the strength and coordination of the speech muscles

Not so sure. I don't believe so, but I don't know what all this entails.

3. Problems with the understanding and use of vocabulary ( semantics ) and understanding and use of grammar ( syntax ) are evaluated.

Generally no problems there.

4. Problems with the understanding and answering both yes-no (e.g., Is your name Bob?) and Wh- questions (e.g., What do you do with a hammer?).

I can have problems with the second because I don't always have my words available to me.

5. Problems understanding extended speech. You listen to a short story or factual passage and answers fact-based (the answers are in the passage) and inferential (the you must arrive at a conclusion based on information gathered from the reading) questions about the material. (Problems with either of these.)

Problems with the second. I can recall facts generally fine as long as my crappy reading comprehension doesn't get in the way.

6. Inability to follow directions that increase in both length and complexity.

Yes. VERY much. Write 'em down, please.

7. Inability to tell an extended story ( language sample ) both verbally and in written form.

Yes, my stories are long, winding, with little structure and too many random details.

8. Difficulty telling the steps needed to complete a task or telling a story, centering on a topic and chaining a sequence of events together?

No problems, usually, with giving directions (as long as their short and concrete). I suck at telling stories. See #7.

9. Problems describing the "plot" in an action picture?

Sometimes. Depends on the movie. And depends on how many times I've seen the movie. Well, actually, most of the time I probably am not so good with this, come to think of it. Stories and making my generalizations clear, I am horrible at.

10. Is your narrative often difficult to follow (not due to the subject of narrative)?

Yes indeed.

11. Difficulty recalling the words needed to express ideas?

Sometimes. Or mixing the wrong words.

12. Problems with expressing yourself in complete sentences, telegraphic sentences or phrases, or single words?

No, I don't think so.

13. Slurred speech, difficult to understand or even unintelligible?

Nope. Not to my knowledge.

14. Problems with social communication skills ( pragmatic language )

Yes.

15. Inability to interpret or explain jokes, sarcastic comments, absurdities in stories or pictures (e.g., What is strange about a person using an umbrella on a sunny day?).

Depends on how simple the subject I'm describing and if I've described it before. The simpler, then the easier it is to all bring together to describe.

16. Difficulty with initiating conversation and conversational topics, taking turns during a discussion, and expressing thoughts clearly using a variety of words and grammatical constructions.

Troubles mostly with the middle part in taking turns. I usually don't have trouble initiating conversation nor in my choice or words or variety of grammatical structures. In fact, I talk too much.

17. Inability to clarify communication when your conversational partner does not understand.

Sometimes. Again, depends on how simple the subject. If it's complicated, then I start to ramble.

18. Reading and writing of letters, words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs.

Nope. No problems in the writing department.

19. Oddities in the quality of the language expression, accuracy of spelling, and letter formation and spacing of words and letters on the page.

I generally have a somewhat eccentric use of language. But no problems with writing.

20. Difficulty swallowing (as needed)

Don't think so. At least no more than normal.

21. Inability to use an augmentative or alternative communication aid (as needed)

N/A.

Yes, most consider me too loud normally - 1. Problems with fluency, vocal quality and loudness, and the pronunciation and clarity of speech

Yes, had problems with producing the /s/ sound as a child - 2. Problems with the strength and coordination of the speech muscles

No - 3. Problems with the understanding and use of vocabulary ( semantics ) and understanding and use of grammar ( syntax ) are evaluated.

Sometimes, mainly the latter - 4. Problems with the understanding and answering both yes-no (e.g., Is your name Bob?) and Wh- questions (e.g., What do you do with a hammer?).

Yes, most times context throws me off - 5. Problems understanding extended speech. You listen to a short story or factual passage and answers fact-based (the answers are in the passage) and inferential (the you must arrive at a conclusion based on information gathered from the reading) questions about the material. (Problems with either of these.)

Yes, I tend to forget even short directions at times past 1-2 steps - 6. Inability to follow directions that increase in both length and complexity.

Yes, often can't find the appropriate words to express what is in my mind - 7. Inability to tell an extended story ( language sample ) both verbally and in written form.

Yes, usually need written notes - 8. Difficulty telling the steps needed to complete a task or telling a story, centering on a topic and chaining a sequence of events together?

Yes, often context throws me off here too - 9. Problems describing the "plot" in an action picture?

Yes - 10. Is your narrative often difficult to follow (not due to the subject of narrative)?

Yes - 11. Difficulty recalling the words needed to express ideas?

Yes - 12. Problems with expressing yourself in complete sentences, telegraphic sentences or phrases, or single words?

No - 13. Slurred speech, difficult to understand or even unintelligible?

Yes - 14. Problems with social communication skills ( pragmatic language )

I'd have to rate this between Sometimes and Yes, all depends on the joke, the person telling it and such. - 15. Inability to interpret or explain jokes, sarcastic comments, absurdities in stories or pictures (e.g., What is strange about a person using an umbrella on a sunny day?).

Yes - 16. Difficulty with initiating conversation and conversational topics, taking turns during a discussion, and expressing thoughts clearly using a variety of words and grammatical constructions.

Yes - 17. Inability to clarify communication when your conversational partner does not understand.

Sometimes - 18. Reading and writing of letters, words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs.

No - 19. Oddities in the quality of the language expression, accuracy of spelling, and letter formation and spacing of words and letters on the page.

No - 20. Difficulty swallowing (as needed)

N/A 21. Inability to use an augmentative or alternative communication aid (as needed)

Just when I thought I was going to get something constructive done today (like cleaning the house)... my language/communication obsession, that was nicely in remission, has been brought back to life. Looks like I have some reading to do...

Note when I say ‘when I was younger’ I mean 17 and younger before the ant-psychotics there was quite a sudden change there

1. Problems with fluency, vocal quality and loudness, and the pronunciation and clarity of speech
Loudness- to loud more when I was younger and to fast speed as well
Random mispronunciation or using the wrong word even as I know it is wrong as it leaves my lips.-Sometimes much more when I was younger

2. Problems with the strength and coordination of the speech muscles
-I don’t think so

3. Problems with the understanding and use of vocabulary ( semantics ) and --understanding and use of grammar ( syntax ) are evaluated.
I learnt Semantics very fast but have great problems with grammar still

4. Problems with the understanding and answering both yes-no (e.g., Is your name Bob?) and Wh- questions (e.g., What do you do with a hammer?).
when I was younger

5. Problems understanding extended speech. You listen to a short story or factual passage and answers fact-based (the answers are in the passage) and inferential (the you must arrive at a conclusion based on information gathered from the reading) questions about the material. (Problems with either of these.)
I have memory problems (ie I don’t have any) with this but not any other problems doing this maybe some with inferential

6. Inability to follow directions that increase in both length and complexity.
worse when I was younger but still quite bad now more then 2 verbal commands in a row and I’m lost

7. Inability to tell an extended story ( language sample ) both verbally and in written form.
could always tell long stories verbally but not written I still struggle a lot with writing

8. Difficulty telling the steps needed to complete a task or telling a story, centering on a topic and chaining a sequence of events together?
I some times get this brain fuzz when I am trying to do something with a number of steps even things I do regularly like making coffee.
I have really hard time chaining a sequence of events that happened but this may be due to pore memory. Only over centralise with a few topics

9. Problems describing the "plot" in an action picture?
yes (what plot )

10. Is your narrative often difficult to follow (not due to the subject of narrative)?
yes more so when I was younger but still now

11. Difficulty recalling the words needed to express ideas?
much less then when I was younger but still a lot more then a “normal” person, and I never realise till I have already launched into the sentence.

12. Problems with expressing yourself in complete sentences, telegraphic sentences or phrases, or single words?
Yes mostly in written forms. A little verbally more so when I was younger

13. Slurred speech, difficult to understand or even unintelligible?
slight lisp mostly gone now usto talk so fast no one could understand me well sept fore when I visit Canada then it was normal speed

14. Problems with social communication skills ( pragmatic language )
more so when I was younger but still some mostly with how I word things but some people get what I mean all the time some never know what the heal I am going on about

15. Inability to interpret or explain jokes, sarcastic comments, absurdities in stories or pictures (e.g., What is strange about a person using an umbrella on a sunny day?).
big problems when I was younger only very ocansuly now moistly it just takes me a second longer then it should

16. Difficulty with initiating conversation and conversational topics, taking turns during a discussion, and expressing thoughts clearly using a variety of words and grammatical constructions.
apparently when 10 and below I would go up to strangers and tell them my life story. Biceds this little adventures stint, initiating conversations and timing (turn taking) are my two biggest problems in life, apparently I am also bad at expressing my self but I just think people aren’t really lissing my friends appear to understand me.

17. Inability to clarify communication when your conversational partner does not understand.
I over clarify over and over agen I just never believe any one understands me unless they repeat the essence of what I was saying back in there one words. Tho I try to fight the urge most of the time now

18. Reading and writing of letters, words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs.
19. Oddities in the quality of the language expression, accuracy of spelling, and letter formation and spacing of words and letters on the page.

insane difficulties in all of these. Could not reed till late when a special edd teacher recognised that I thought differently and tried this new teaching tenicke on me. by the end of that year I hade read every book in the junior school library. Still have difficulty requinsing words out of context. I have dysgraphia which means despite an attempt at every “solution” under the sun* I spell at the level of a 7 year old, can not form letters well, I have great difficulties with grammar and punctation.
*the exclusion of gluten and casein from my diet and the correction of a sever biochemical imbalance seam to have drastically improved the spelling and grammar and punctuation with out even trying but it is still early days so we will see how much in helps over time.
When writing my writing gets messer if I write more the a paragraph and it becomes unreadable. My letters get smaller well and I can not write in a strait line it always goes down in a angle


20. Difficulty swallowing (as needed)
lots of swallowing/ chocking problems –heredity my dads side of the family all have this problem where the mussel that blocs your air passage when swoling and ur throat when breathing is slow (constly choking on things like water )

21. Inability to use an augmentative or alternative communication aid (as needed)
N/A

22 to everyone: Do you stutter?
No

Wow, you've mirrored my thoughts exactly. I'm not officially dx'd with any ASD but I've always felt like HFA is probably more accurate than AS for me. I didn't have a language delay (I spoke earlier than most kids) but despite a physical ability to speak I don't do much of it. I have plenty of thoughts swirling around inside my head but it takes so much energy to translate those thoughts into words to express myself outwardly. I'm very quiet IRL - I don't mind being around other people, watching to them, listening to their conversation with each other, taking everything in, but I have a really hard time joining in the interaction myself - voicing my own thoughts or feelings. (Participating as opposed to being a spectator.) The same thing applies to writing if it's in real time like an online chat - by the time I get my words organized to say something it's often too late. It's a little better in writing if there's no time constraint (like writing posts here). I can express myself adequetely, although it usually takes a long time. The thing you said about someone else finding the coordinates for keywords - I've had that happen a lot on forums, especially with a certain poster. So many times he'll write something and it was exactly what I was thinking, I just hadn't figured out how to say it myself yet. It always reminds me of a line in a song - "...The way your words connect my thoughts..."

Edit: another thought to add... Do you find the same thing happening with general executive function? I find the same thing with physical tasks at times. (It seems to get better or worse right along with my speaking ability.) If I need to physically do something a lot of times I know in my mind what I need or want to do, but the message doesn't get through to the outside to translate into the necessary movement. I find that if someone tells me what to do though, that outside prompt always works to get me moving. Now that I think about it, it seems to be a similar phenomenon to the whole 'translating thoughts into speech' problem - translating thoughts into other physical actions other than speaking... This is something you see a lot of in people with LFA so it kinda fits in with your AS/HFA theory too. Brain connectivity issues? Aspies have connectivity-related problems too but there does seem to be a difference in some of the types of problems between the groups.

Last edited by neongrl on 30 Nov 2005, 3:26 pm, edited 2 times in total.

I've taken a few minutes to educate myself about the different types of aphasia. Anomic aphasia is definitely a problem for me at times, although I don't know how common it is in ASD's in general. I'd say Broca's aphasia makes a lot of sense, probably in HFA/LFA moreso than AS though. (I should mention that I'm not officially dx'd with any ASD although there's no question in my mind that I have one. I've always kinda felt that HFA is more likely than AS in my case - IF there's even a real difference between the two. I think that whole subject/controversy is fascinating. I'm also sure that I have ADHD and a bit of OCD.)



I have this problem, particularly when I'm overloaded - I become almost mute, managing to spit out a couple of words here and there if I really need to communicate something. (Like the "walk dog" example.) (The frontal lobe location of the problem makes sense for me too.) Sunday nights are usually one of the worst times for overload for me. I don't get enough sleep the night before, then I'm at work all day, then I'm at church in the evening trying to socialize with all the people there. By the time we're ready to leave church I'm wide-eyed and barely speaking. I'll say to my husband "Car?", pointing to the front entrance. (Usually we're parked at the back of the building.) He'll say "You want me to come around to the front and pick you up at the door?" I nod yes. Then I'll say "Washroom", pointing toward the ladies washroom. My husband will say "You're gonna use the washroom while I go get the car?" Again I nod yes.

I just remembered another instance when I was really overloaded in a restaurant. When a waitress came to the table I wanted to know where the washroom was. Instead of asking in a normal way, after a long pause all I could spit out was "Bathroom?" I was so embarassed.



Honestly I don't see that one being much of a problem in ASD's, except possibly LFA. Or maybe those people are out there and I just haven't happened to run into any of em?

I think there are definitely other autistic speech/language problems too that don't seem to fall under the current definitions of aphasia, like the stuff danlo and I were talking about - understanding language fluently and having the physical ability to speak fluently, but having great difficulty with translating your thoughts into words to say or write what you're thinking. I don't know if there's a name for that or not. Any thoughts on that part of it?

I was thinking more along the lines of them providing the keywords directly. A keyword which gives you the coordinates of more related words. But without an initial keyword, you can't find those coordinates, so you have to run through the entire pool of words until you find the first keyword which suits your thoughts. What I wonder, is if that is how everyone works, or it's just us. Perhaps it's only because it's closer to consciousness that the process works slower, or because we use a different, inefficient algorithm. That's the big question, I think.



Sometimes I find a similar thing occuring in other aspects of my life. Like finding work to do, when I haven't been told what to do. At work, I'll just sit at my desk and it's a real struggle to think of what needs doing unless I'm told. It gives a similar feeling, that of there just being a lot of things I could do, but being unable to select a relevant or particular thing to bring to conscious thought. I just sit stupefied and conscious thought practically stops. It occurs in a lot of situations, really, and they are connected. Including, as you mention, speaking. Come to think of it, it also seems to be related to my memory problems. Like when it happens, my working memory is completely taken over by that process, and whatever is in it gets overwritten. That's why things that run in realtime are so hard to do; when you have things written down, you have reference points to bring you back to where you were before it happens, and you can continue where you left off.


I have this "problem", too. I don't find it a problem, per se. I speak so rarely. I rarely think in words, often I just do and exist. Follow my routines and do what I want to do. I don't think "I have to go to the toilet", or "I have to get or do something". Doing anything in words isn't my nature, written or verbal. Naturally, I will try and work something out by myself, like look around for the washroom before resorting to asking someone. What it depends on I don't know, but I will either ask in full sentences following the forms, or I will mime and speak in single words. That's about the extent of my speaking. I'm good at avoiding speech, just by being me.

No problem.

Yes. I'm usually told I don't speak loudly enough, or mumble etc. Or I'm told that I'm too quiet and have no sense of humor, expression, etc.

No.

No.

No.

No.

Sometimes.

No.

No.

Sometimes. I love movies, but I have this odd habbit of falling asleep during certain movies at certain times of the day, only to snap awake later and become involved in the last half hour. This seems to be especially true if I'm watching an old movie that doesn't manipulate my emotions.

No.

No.

No.

No.

Sometimes. It's that whole Aspie thing about learning to automatically respect authority.

Sometimes. I sometimes don't get/laugh at jokes that are told around a table unless their base or something like that.

Sometimes. I don't particularly like working in groups, even though it is in theory a fair and effective way to do things. I hate it when I feel like I have nothing to contribute, or when I'm the only person who wants to make a difference.

No.

No.

Sometimes.

No. Well, not unless I'm nauseous or have eaten a lot.

I don't know.