AS and telephones

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Im not very good with telephones at all i try to avoid them instead.

I hate phones. They are unpredictable and intrusive.

I just got a new job. I'm now a 'cube rat,' as my spouse put it. (hijack: the Big Boss came by yesterday and said, "you have the most interesting office." I looked around and said "You mean everybody doesn't have a unicycle, WPA posters, fifteen reference books, a 'ball chair,' a toy motorcycle, a notebook full of statistics for Fantasy Football, and a book about a heretic?" I told a co-worker about this exchange, and he walked into my cube and burst out laughing, saying "this is an autistic person's cube. It is classic." And he walked off, still laughing. /hijack.)

Anyway. When i got this new job, I very specifically told Them that I didn't want a phone, and why. I don't need to add more "new stuff" to an already overloaded brain, I don't do well talking to people on the phone (I can never tell when it's 'my turn', for one thing), etc. Sure enough, I got a phone. Fortunately, I didn't know my extension for a week, so nobody could call me. Eventually someone told me, and I did figure out how to set my outgoing voicemail message, but beyond that I'm stuck. I can't figure out how to *get* my voicemail, and apparently my phone is different than every other phone in the building, so the instructions don't work.

It's a good thing nobody ever calls me, and another good thing that I don't have to make any calls. Still, there's that phone, lurking on the corner of my desk....

Wow, this is awesome! It's nice to know it's not at all rare to hate the thing... and yes, I forgot to mention it's intrusive nature. Here I am, totally absorbed in my favorite thing of the moment and the evil thing rings and is it important? No! It's a robo-call. Talk about wanting to rip wires out of the wall!

I've had jobs where I had to answer the phone and that was OK because it was just stock answers or making an appt (though I hated those folks who would call for an appt and not have a clue when they wanted to come in...??? Put two brain cells together and figure it out before you call, for pete's sake.)

And I'm OK with the phone when I can call and get info rather than having to go into town and deal with someone. But you do run the risk of getting a total bozo on the other end who doesn't bother to check stock and hasn't really got a clue about their product, just lies to you.

I cannot stand the phone.... unfortunately most of my friends seem to absolutely love it.

I don't like things on my head really to begin with. It drives me NUTS. I have to keep switching ears the entire time I'm on the phone because I can't stand how the plastic feels on my ears. I don't like how sweaty my ear feels when on the phone, I hate the random beeping you hear when someone or when you hit a button by accident... and the ringing... I HATE the ringing, but it's the only way to know when someone is calling.

The most trouble I have on the phone however, aside from the major discomfort, is eventually I get irritable, or start giving short "uh-huh" "nah" answers because I just don't want to talk on it anymore. ...and getting someone who LIKES talking on the phone to hang up... psssh, it never happens for me until I go completely silent after a while, or unless a major fight breaks out between the kids and they can tell I have to go. It always has to be majorly obvious that I absolutely HAVE to get off the phone.

I'm not good at telling people I don't want to talk to them either... I mean, because I do want to talk to them, just not on the phone. I don't mind the phone for a quick question, or if the school needs to tell me about something that happened or anything like that... I just don't like it for casual conversation. I'd rather talk in person. I can talk for hours to people I know well and like and all in person, just.... not on the phone.

I also don't like headsets for talking on the computer. My bf keeps trying to pressure me into getting a new one 'cuz my other broke, because we play a lot of games together on the comp. I need to find a pair of headphones that doesn't feel so.... enclosing on my head for that. I'd use my mic/speakers, but with kiddos runnin around all day, the sound will wake them up at night, or I just know something would happen if I was using the normal stuff on the computer.... just out of curiosity, lol... does anyone have any ideas about this? (not trying to overtake the thread, it just kind of came to mind when thinking about how much I despise the telephone and things on my head)

I. DON'T. DO. PHONES. Parents admitted they've always had trouble with me and this.
I am usually scared making and answering calls. But I also have had lots of bad news over the phone.
I'm OK on my mobile usually cos I can see who's calling, but landlines. NAH AH. NO WAY. My parents sometimes ask me to answer, and I answer when they're out, because it is usually them, the sense of dread when I don't recognise the voice is painful. At work they decided to get me to answer the phone because 'everyone is supposed to do everything' but I only do it if nobody answers and I am told to. I hate this cos I am almost certain to not know the person on the other end.

I am okay to ring my mum, brother, dad and occasionally (but rarely) my step-dad, but only on their mobiles (with exception to the house phone for my Mum). I can also cope with recieving calls from these people but only really on my mobile which displays the caller's name. If, however, I was then told to ring someone I don't know so well, such as a shop or something, I would break out in a cold sweat and freak out. If someone I don't know rings my mobile, I refuse to answer it. I don't like the fact that I can't see the person and I like to read lips because my auditory processing is quite slow. I expect that quite a few people with AS are like this but maybe some find talking on the phone easier (no eye contact, body language or facial expressions to deal with).

Invented by the devil. Totaly disgusted by them.
But quite usefull at times.

When I was young I had a lot of trouble making sense of the buzzing thing my parents held to my ear. It was like mosquitos and static. I had to learn how to interpret the sounds as words, and then how to connect the words with the person who was supposed to be on the other end. I didn't have any problems with live people, or even understanding faint voices through walls. It's something to do with the electronic vs acoustic sound.

Now, I don't like phones, but I don't have problems using them for work, or for information, but I don't 'chat' on the phone. I also don't answer it, or even check messages very often. I have to concentrate really hard.

I've been teased because sometimes I'll answer the phone, listen to a question, and just say Yes or No, and hang up. Maybe with a Hello and Bye. People who know me actually appreciate that I don't waste time with the social rituals.

I hate it when I'm concentrating on something and the phone rings. It's like getting hit.

I use my phone for texting and brief phone calls. If I don't recognize a number calling me, I don't answer. If you don't leave me a message, then I guess it just wasn't that important.

When I'd call friends or a girlfriend I always needed to know that THEY were going to answer, and not a family member. I could never understand my phone anxiety.

ANY interruption while I'm concentrating and I get very irritated. My grandmother will walk by my bedroom and just start talking to me while I'm watching something or listening to music, so I have to pause and listen to her tell me something irrelevant. What I hate worse is someone trying to talk to me while I'm writing something. I can only do one or the other.

I like answering the phone much less than placing phone calls, mostly because people are calling me on their terms and not mine. I usually let the phone ring, and if it's someone worth talking to, I'll call them back.

I do like making phone calls to friends I haven't talked with in awhile. I don't like making business calls; I would much rather do business online if I can, even if that is not the quickest way to do it.

My thoughts exactly.

I currently cannot use the phone. I just panic every time it rings, and there's no way I could call someone. Mind you, it's my Independence Skills target for the next school term, so fingers crossed.

I used to panic when the 'phone rang. I have to use them for work, but socially, either I'm abrupt or I chat for too long when the other party wants to be quick. I can't get it right.

Generally speaking, I dislike the phone. There are a select few with whom I can maintain a lengthy conversation; most evaporate quickly or turn into me listening to a monologue - very irksome and agitating.


M.

I'm the same way, I cringe everytime the phone rings. I'm thankful for that wonderful invention, the answering machine.

I hate phones, i ignore it when it rings. I will only communicate via email etc. I was thinking of buying a car but the guy wanted me to call him to talk about it so i just didnt bother.