Verbal Communications Differences and Difficulties Sticky

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I have a dana alphasmart, does anyone know if there is an application you can get that has text to speech on it? I want to participate more in class, and so far I'm just sort of fading into the background.

I understand that....I can write, my professor reads, but no one knows what I've said written (ie: spoken non-verbally). I am unsure if dana has the speech capability though. You could check the alphasmart website for a device that does, which I am considering myself, but cost??? That might be a problem.

I would hope if DVR could help out with the cost, but I haven't had the meeting yet, I think it's sometime next week...

Thanks LabPet,
No, I don't have a doctor, or health insurance, or a job to pay for any of it. Once a few years ago I had health insurance and started some testing for a diagnoses, but then lost my job, like usual, and couldn't continue with the testing. I just got papers so I could go to the "free clinic", I am not sure if they can help me or not. A big problem for me is they don't have a e-mail and I don't use the phone, so calling them is a problem. I was also told that I could get help getting a job threw something called office for vocational rehabilitation, but I would have to apply over the phone, so again that is a problem. I have been trying to get a diagnoses and help for around 5 years now, but haven't got anywhere, it is very frustrating.

Earthmonkey, what is DVR?
I looked at the AlphaSmart devices, it looks like the Dana does have a text to speech add on program you can buy, but is expensive. I am not sure if the alphasmart devices would work for me. Does yours have word prediction? My spelling is very bad, so to make my messages readable, I use a program called symwriter, it is a word processor that has pictures above the words you type, so you can see the meaning instantly, also symbol spell checker, and word prediction. I type my message out, copy and paste it for this board and e-mails. It also has very good speech output, so if I had a laptop I could use it as a speech device, but it would take a long time, being I am slow with using it. I used to use word Q word prediction program but if you don't know the meanings of the predicted words that are listed, you are left just guessing, so my spelling would be correct but most of the time with the wrong words. It is complicated, and writing messages and e-mails takes a long time.
Todd

I am unsure what the specification of an Alphasmart is, but there exists a free program called Festival http://www.cstr.ed.ac.uk/projects/festival/ which is a text to speech synthesis system. A demo on the website allows the voices available to be listened to. For a while I tried to install Festival on an Osaris, EPOC4 OS, but it was complicated with flash cards and my knowledge of linux and palmtops is not comprehensive (or even adequate). I now have a Nokia E61. If anyone knows how to install a text-to-speech program on an E61 I would dearly like to know.


This is exactly the position I was in. I could not even arrange for the initial consultations to take place. So I wrote directly to the nurse c/o my local surgery, explaining the difficulties I was having and stated that I was free to attend an appointment at any time that suited them. She wrote back to my postal address with details of my initial consultation, having arranged it on my behalf. When I attended I took lots of notes that I had written out beforehand, in an attempt to have my answers ready (spontaneous writing is incredibly difficult for me). This may be cynical, but it was not until she took my blood pressure and saw a decade's worth of self harm on my arms that my notes got read properly. The nurse arranged a further appointment with a doctor right away, whilst I was still present. If it is at all possible, get the doctor to arrange the next appointment by telephone whilst you are still there, in your current appointment.

Todd: You must keep writing. Write everything down and post it to people, do not let them ignore you. Research the names of the nurses, doctors, and 'vocational rehabilitation' workers in your local area and write directly to them, thus avoiding the receptionists altogether.

Ha, look at this, a place for me! I have trouble verbalising, but not by choice - I would talk all day and all night if people would let me! But I have had damage to Broca's area, along with speech delays as a young child, and my speech still sounds pretty funny. (my flatmate Kyle is now very used to me calling him Ky-aw) I sign with people who know sign, and chatter in my little-boy way with everyone else. I prefer sign though, its hard to make yourself sound intelligent when you could be mistaken for the voice of a teletubby.

I don't know whether I belong in this thread, but I have been known to have completely mute periods, sometimes just sounds, so I guess I'll put my thing across.

When I've had a meltdown, and indeed when I'm having it, I make whining and grunting noises. I am not capable of speech, and only want to hurt myself to feel something. For hours afterwards, I can only make the odd words, such as "tea" or "mmhmm" (I suppose that's a sound too).

I have been known to completely cut myself off from the outside world; not answering phonecalls even from my mother. I just can't face talking to ppl sometimes. It is such an effort to make words come out. It actually causes more stress trying than not, so I tend to just not! I have also been known to email companies asking if I can email them instead of ringing, pretending that I'm deaf!

I am glad I have an AS boyfriend, as he doesn't expect me to talk all that much, and understands that sometimes it's just too much effort to.

I'm getting better with talking to ppl outside the house, but still tend to just look for things myself in shops, with my earphones in ignoring shop employees when they ask me stupid questions. I also don't say anything at check-outs; just give them money and leave. Sometimes at work I can go so non-verbal that all I say is the price of things, sort out the transaction, and walk away.

LadyMacbeth - Of course you belong. Many Aspies/Auties do have bouts of being NV, or to a partial extent. On another thread just recently many wrote about their 'inside' not being able to be expressed to the 'outside,' and a lot of verbal/speech difficulties.

I can speak too, but this is hard and certainly NVs are a common denominator amongst Autists! When I have a meltdown speech isn't even there...sigh. And I'm physically exhausted too. Speaking just makes me tired. Oddly, I guess neurotypicals really enjoy the conversational parts. Whatever.

Hello Teddy - Age1600 likes to sign too. You write well also!

ViatorRose - thanks for the link. I know you've been hurt....how dreadful others won't listen until they see the physical signs of your pain/harm. I'm sorry. Sometimes I think who are NV might have a deeper form of autism, not related to level of functioning. And we do get hurt.

Thank you, Lab Pet. I learned to write before I could speak. My mother was desperate to take the screaming monster and turn him into someone she could communicate with. It kind of worked...

What do you guys (girls) sound like when you talk? Do yous sound normal, or funny?

Depends on how stressed I am.

I tend to stutter/stammer if I'm excited/trying to get my point across about what I'm going to say, and it ends up being all one word.

If stressed, it slurs. I have two speech impediments anyway. Slurring often includes completely omitting some syllables. I struggle with words with more than three syllables.

Talking slowly is best. And I try to pronounce everything "properly". Which is why ppl tend to think I'm posh. So I guess I sound funny/weird.

My voice is fine. My rate of speech is rather slow but where I'm from (Alaska) this is normal - Alaskan accent. But I somehow retained a parent's Continental accent, which is odd. Many ask if I'm foreign (I'm not), but know and like the accent. But this isn't contrived, I just never assimilated the speech of my peers. I notably do not use slang so my speech sounds formal. I do have intonation but I have what is known as prosody of speech, which means my cadence sounds off - sort of like a recording; even robotic.

If I haven't mentally rehearsed, or read aloud, I can falter......just forget what I'm trying to say. Then I can become literally mute - entirely unable to speak. Or I just ramble about.....something tangential. My friend says I sound like a little kid (not my voice per se, but otherwise, especially when excited). I'll say, "And, and, and, then she likes........then...."

I've said (to my advisor), for example, "What word does this mean?" And point.

Teddy, I read before I could speak so I understand. LadyMacbeth, I can seem stilted too! Pendantic speech is quite common in those with autism and can be very indicative of a this diagnostic distinction. I can sound overly formal.

I am a queit person and always have been except i can talk alot when i do talk. i love talking to my gf cause she can talk alot like me except she gets annoyed when i dont shut up and sometimes she gets in emotional mood and Im not
so i dont listen cause it gets on my nerves but we get along so well most of the times and we are always laughing.
Men listen to me and they are really good listeners except i had a bf that never listen to me and would tell me to shut up.
Before that i had a bf i really loved and i mostly listened to him and then i would speak a little and then he would. i always laughed at what he said. I miss him so much.
Growing up and as a child i always liked to imagine looking after orphans and what kind of house I would have for them and what thier bedrooms would look like. i would give them everything. they would have the best childhoods. That most of what i used to imagine besides monsters and horror themes.
I am thinking. i wonder what i would be like as a nun or as a mother theresa.
I usually talk and act very gracefully people say except sometimes when I am anxious I talk nervous and/or fast. I am a gentle spirited person. I come across and talk like some one who would be borderline autistic. Sometimes maybe i am like a child. Some people actually talk me to my like i am three years old (I hate that) i am not a little girl or a ret*d! and most people, like strangers in general call me sweetie and depending what mood Im in, i dont like that either. I get it all the time.

I stutter when I'm agitated and the more upset I am, the less verbal I become.
One day I heard a lot of noise outside and went to investigate still in my pajamas and found helmeted men in my front yard with a big shovel machine and they had just scooped up my little, expensive tree that I had planted the year before. I opened my mouth several times and could not say a thing. I ran around until I found my husband and pointed. You....they....my tree!! !
He found out they were working on the gas line and they promised to take good care of my tree. Liars. But after they left I replanted the tree, which is still growing slowly after that shock of being ripped from most of its roots, and repaired the front garden a bit before I could talk again.

I think this should be a separate forum instead of a sticky in the Haven. I discovered this place by accident.
I also want a separate forum for travelers and their photos.

They killed your tree? I would be speechless too....egads! Can it regenerate with damaged roots? I had a crab apple tree and moose ate it...

The reason this is a Sticky in the Haven is because WP moderators choose this as an appropriate avenue for special concerns/considerations of those who are NV Autists. So it's a Sticky, not just another thread. Verbal/speech communication is all pervasive in those w/ Autism, at whatever level of functioning - a constant amongst our kind with far reaching impacts. That's why this forum is deemed 'Sticky Status.' I guess if you look further back at the beginning of this forum you'll see how we evolved.

I sound like a 2 year old. my words are all mispronounced, i have bad pragmatic speech, its either echolalia, phrases, one-two worders, short sentences, babbling, but i do have times where i speak so well and even then its mostly either too loud or too fast lol, but there are times i do sound intellegent i have to say, but a good 90% of my actual speech sounds like a little kids speech unfortunely all pragmatic, mispronounced, i basically have a limited vocab.

Labpet, I must have said it wrong. This is such an important discussion it should be on the Forum Index, just like Getting to know each other, and Random Discussion.
Yes, the tree is still alive, maybe growing an inch a year, unlike its neighbor that grows three feet a year.

Age1600, sometimes people ask me where my accent is from. I was born and grew up here.