Trouble speaking?

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Sometimes I have trouble speaking when out in public. It's total trouble communicating to strangers, sometimes it takes me like 3 to 5 seconds to actually be able to tell a cashier what I want. It's like I stall for those 3 to 5 seconds... I'm guessing this is related to autism. It's nothing major but these things add up to a strange pattern of behavior that makes it difficult sometimes. I guess my question is whether this is related to autism... it certainly sounds like a problem someone on the spectrum could have. Hard to tell where it ends and begins sometimes..

I have a very hard time speaking sometimes. There are periods when I stutter. I've slowed my speaking back down to my natural laid back pace and I don't seem to have that problem as often anymore.

I have the same stalling problem when speaking to people...I fill the gap by gesturing with my hand as though I am trying to think of something so that they wait for me to actually say it. Life would be easier if I could either always communicate in written format or in sign language I think lol. I am ok with hand gestures...its one thing I can read and know how to use myself. Probably because I had a mother who 'talked with her hands' so to speak (not in the sense of using sign language but she had a hand gesture for everything lol). So much so people used to ask if she was Italian lol.

Yup. In fact, right now I'm in middle of having lots of problems speaking. I either can't start, or in middle of the sentence I will forget what words I wanted to use. It is annoying as hell!! ! If I slow down and think about what I wanted to say sometimes it gets better, but not all the time. Yesterday I wanted to just quit talking altogether because of it.

I kind of have to do the same thing.

I sometimes do the stalling even when it's quiet, but if it's noisy it's more likely occur.

I know how that is.

In the case of cashiers and such, I always plan what I'm going to say before I go up to them, so it's less of a problem. If I'm supposed to say something I haven't planned, though, I have a lot of difficulty.

I do it even when I know what to say. Kind of an awkward stall.

I always talk about the same subjects or I'm generally kind of quiet too. I'd rather not have ASD, it makes life difficult.

I agree. I found reading this a bit strange, because long before I figured out I was on the spectrum - heck, before I knew there was a spectrum anyone could be on - I had to work this strategy out by instinct. If I don't go over what I'm going to say in my head first, or if the interaction goes "off script", I usually end up looking like an idiot.

As long as I am talking about something specific to my task at hand, you can't shut me up.

If I have to talk about something that I haven't had any preparation for, then I can have more trouble. I don't actually stutter, but my rhythm gets choppy and I lose track of what I'm trying to say.

I'm a very verbal autistic now. In school I would say very little.

Yes, but mostly now when I'm either ~ stressed~ or in really deep thought.....anyhow, good topic! And it fits nicely into this forum:

http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt73273.html

I'm reading John Elder Robison's latest book, Be Different: Adventures of a Free-Range Aspergian. 5 stars (!), plus Mr. Robison is a Wrong Planet member. Significantly, he writes very early in the book that all forms of autism (yes, us Aspies) exhibit communication difficulties. Indeed; that's one of our triads of impairments. Now, from my Wrong Planet experience I regard those who talk a lot (you know who you are ) are in fact displaying a communication difference.

I guess it's more of a communication difference and how it's expressed depends upon the individual. I've wondered too if I'm selectively mute. I watched a BBC programme about selective mutism - a little girl was featured that could speak, physically, but in certain situations (i.e. school!) she could not speak a word. She was NOT faking it and her mutism was all too real. Instead, mutism can be an anxiety response. I imagine plenty of Aspies fall into this category as well. In 3rd grade I stopped talking entirely for ~ 9 months. Now I sometimes just cannot........trying to do better, really, and I am. Other times I point and I really do prefer to write. If I plan what I am to say or have a purpose then I'm OK. At times I'll say, 'wait, let me start over.'

I generally have to rehearse what I have to say in advance. A sudden change of topic will cause problems for me, and it takes me a couple of seconds to figure out what I want to say.

I'm similar to wavefreak58:

If I know the topic and have written/talked/read about it before, I can probably speak at length.

Otherwise, I find it difficult to collect and translate my thoughts, and I end up with a lot of choppy rhythm, long pauses, and lose track.

This. If I'm not expecting a question, my brain sometimes stops working and I give the wrong answer. I even do this with obvious things like my age or where I live. I send most motorists in the wrong direction if they ask me for directions.

When I was younger I covered this with alot of UMMMMMMMMMM...

Not quite as acceptable when you are older. I now practice all sorts of canned responses for all occassions.

Yes! I do those things too. I feel pressured to answer, so I say something that I guess I quickly relate to what I'm being asked, even if it isn't the right answer.

Exactly! It reminds me of Homer Simpson talking to his brain: "Better say something or they'll think you're stupid."