roygerdodger wrote:
I do, since I have trouble speaking most of the time.
I had echolalia as a child and also I had trouble recognising my voice - it sounded strange, like it didn't belong to me.
I used to speak with limited tonal variation and when I was in an excited or very anxious or angry mood (when emotional) I couln't control my tone at all - my pitch was completely erratic and I got picked on because of it.
I couldn't shout or whisper or 'speak quietly' I was frequently repremanded for speaking at the wrong volume which just frustrated me because no-one seemd to want to understand that I had such difficulty speaking that it was a real effort for me to say anything at all - all they did was focus on the negative and criticise.
I could communicate very well in writing, from a very early age and I had a good vocabulary.
I also speak really quickly - not deliberately and I don't even notice - I only know because other people keep telling me or because they have recorded it and played it back to me.
I saw a speech and drama teacher when I was 17 who worked intensively with me to add tonal variation to my voice and to teach me tonal expression and basic body language and appropriate gesticulations. It really helped - I feel that I sound and generally communicate like a 'real' person. It took A LOT of work though and I have to remember it by rote - it doesn't just come naturally.
I still speak quickly (well, people say I do) but I don't really care as I think that people should focus on what I CAN do and what I have learned rather than just criticising and criticising...