That girl from America's next top model.

Post Reply New Topic

I am quoting one of the studies I have read (translating from Russian as closely as possible to the original):

"Their speech is characterized by insufficient expressiveness /- i.e. what you termed "monotonous"/, unusual pace and rhythm, fading or sing-song intonation. In general, it is these prosodic features that "betray" an adolescent's autism, and indicate that his or her speech is not emotionally addressed at the interlocutor and insufficiently intended for communication. /.../ Autistic adolescents take less notice of their interlocutor's gestures and facial expression than their ordinary peers, even though many of them begin to use gestures themselves /.../ Our experience has shown that, with the aid of a psychotherapist, /ABA or similar methods had nothing to do with the therapeutic techniques they used, they don't even seem to believe it to be a valid method/ autistic adolescents are capable of making significant progress in orienting their communication toward a real listener, as well as in developing their speech, and even in overcoming such difficulties peculiar to autism as failute to understand the context or subcontext of an uttering or lacking a sense of humor." (O.S. Nikolskaja, E. R. Bajenskaja, M. M. Libling, I. A. Kostin, M. J. Vedenina, A. V. Arshatskij, A. V. Arshatskaja, 2005)

I could go on quoting.

From this and the other books I've read it looks like "monotonous voice“ is a rather inadequate way of describing autistic speech patterns. It's more complex than that, and is more about having an intonation that is different from ordinary than having no intonation whatsoever. Out of the many children they worked with, none actually spoke in a completely monotonous manner. The prosodic patterns also apparently varied depending on the severity of their autism and their individual personalities.

It is also stressed throughout the study that, as autistic people mature (provided they are given adequate support) they can and do learn new communication strategies. As they do so, they do start to act „less autistic“. For instance, as their speech becomes more communication-oriented and intended for the listener, it becomes more expressive and conventional in its intonation; they gradually learn to make eye contact and use gestures more successfully; etc.

So that the assumption that one cannot change the inflections or intonation of one's voice is evidently erroneous.

The study was based on practical results (even though the findings of many other studies, both Russian and foreign, were also reviewed and used as a background). These people have worked practically with a large number of autistic children and continued working with many of them well into late adolescence, so they know what they are talking about.

It‘s not the only book that states the possibility of gradually learning non-autistic types of communication, either.

Last edited by ixochiyo_yohuallan on 13 Dec 2007, 1:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I don't really see where it says someone will appear "normal" like the individual appears in the aforementioned video.

I throw sing-song, peculiar tone and what have you under monotonous (it's all the same thing); it's all lacking in inflection. Obviously, one can be forced to change and adapt to their environment with therapy (see: ABA), it's like using a stick to walk if you're blind; taking on the persona of the professionals and how they interact is mimicking, not seeing. But that's splitting hairs.

She's obviously a good mimicker if she does indeed have AS; I've seen several individuals with Asperger's outside in a therapy setting, none were how she appeared (some were verbose, but in no way did they appear "normal").

I can use gestures, I can smile and wave my hands around to express non-verbal communication; it's kinda hard to do those whilst making eye contact and continuing to talk (impossible over here). In no way will I appear normal, "eccentric" is an adequate term for how most appear.

I keep having to remember the winner is not the best one, it is the best one they had to work with.

and anyway, Saleisha had worked with them for some time and never got beyond the 'commercial' stage. It's their show, I suppose they can chose whom they please. I enjoyed it this year, Heather made it all worth while. Thanks Heather!

Merle

PS to danielismyname. Over the years I have perfected what I call my "NT Mask". At the expenditure of incredible energy, I can perfectly fake it for up to 20 minutes at a time, get a bit of down time and then put on the 'NT Mask' again and run through all the social miming w/ sound again and again as needed.
When I watched Heather through the series and then on the season marathon all in one day, I watched her use that technique, but being young ( I have had thirty years more than she to perfect the "mask") and 'on' all the time, she was showing cracks in her adaptations. I so wanted to comfort her by telling her that there was nothing wrong with her acting NT that twenty or thirty years wouldn't cure!
It's acting, because below the surface I am dealing with all my normal reactions. I consider it a personal victory when I don't laugh outright in their faces at the tripe and drivel they expect me to be actually interested in!

all the best,
Merle

Yes, absolutely. I'm no diagnostician, but in watching the show religiously (as I'm embarrassed to admit) I did see autistic traits in Heather. One thing that my mom thought was especially like me was the few occasions where Heather became upset. Usually, this happened when things didn't quite go the way she might have expected (like with the shower or when there was no bed for her). It's typical for people on the spectrum to react badly to those situations, and I know that's certainly something I struggle with. I admit that in watching the show I did think Heather seemed relatively "mild", but it's all a spectrum. I have sometimes wondered whether I was misdiagnosed because I don't quite fit the AS stereotypes or I feel too "normal" somehow, but my parents, boyfriend, and a psychologist who specializes in AS are all convinced I'm on the spectrum nevertheless. I'm glad that Heather showed that people on the spectrum may not be "obviously" so, but still have certain issues to deal with.

Wow, some people are sure asses. Doubting someone's diagnoses just because they weren't aspie enough in the video or just because someone had something good and you didn't. Look at Temple Grandin, I have seen videos about her on youtube and she seemed very normal to me and she is autistic. Does that mean she isn't autistic just because she lives in a house, is a college professor, designed animal live stocks, and is real successful. And me, I live in a small apartment with low income working a low paying job and I doubt I be very successful while Heather is going to school and I can see she is going to succeed real well and maybe live in a house and make real good money.

Amazing how some people need to actually see them in videos or hear them speak just to believe their diagnoses.


Gee I wonder what people would think of me if they saw me on TV or heard me speaking.

Sometimes I think this is all about being jealous and it makes people feel good about themselves when they say someone isn't AS or on the spectrum just because they are succeeding real well or got something they never got or never will. I can start saying about aspies who are succeeding and going to school or have great paying jobs, don't have AS because they went to college, have a business, did something great like wrote books, been on TV, etc and I never had those things or succeeded in school because of my damn learning disability. I always had to get extra help with my school work and even have some of it modified.

You never know just how you look through other people's eyes.

-Butthole Surfers

It'd be far better to argue the point in contention rather than resorting to ad hominem attacks if you wish to be taken seriously.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoNErsJNPzw[/youtube]

Temple Grandin was brought up. This video illustrates many of the adaptations that she was able to make in order to be an effective public speaker. She has quite a bit of proper inflection in her voice, appropriate gesturing, even pace, she seeks out eye contact with her audience, etc.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSwbxNDqIO0[/youtube]

This video features a phone conversation with Ms. Grandin. She is incredibly articulate and sounds just like an NT. She sounds far, far better than I do, and I made it all the way through school without ever having been diagnosed.

Temple Grandin herself says that as a child she would have been considered a low functioning autistic! Here we have living proof that people on the spectrum are able to present themselve in front of the media in a way that appears quite normal and well-spoken.

FYI and all, I can speak publicly "normally" and without fear; I can make eye contact when people are at a distance. When they are directly in front of me, not at all if I'm intently listening or responding. I can use the phone too if it's not a social conversation (I'm quite articulate too).

This is subjective, however.

yah, when people use body language I gotta turn away so I can concentrate on the words they speak. I can only use the phone if I have a headset and can hear myself talk, then I do much better with the resonance.
Merle

Merle,

It's really common for people with Asperger's to look away when someone is talking to them face to face; I do it for I have difficulty with non-verbal communication (which is a hallmark of Asperger's), when I look away I can concentrate on what they're saying. I can understand English, but when I'm trying to listen to another language on top of it, a language that's equally as loud as the spoken words, a language I don't understand; I falter and stumble. I won't be able to respond fluently at all if I look at people as they talk to me.

FYI and all again, I actually have no fear of speaking out in public in front of a group of people; I can answer questions if they pertain to the speech. I find it really easy. I can even make eye contact when they're far away and talking to me (probably because I cannot see them as I refrain from wearing my glasses).

Mw99,

That video you posted but deleted; it's impossible to tell as one cannot see the recipient, i.e., is she talking to the camera?

I also have no fear of speaking out in public in front of a group of people, but I'm terrified of the incomprehensible drivel that might unintentionally come out of my mouth.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WALIARHHLII[/youtube]

Ladies and gentlemen!

The NEXT president of the U.S. ^^^^!

Seriously, she sounds like many politicians I have heard!

Is Heather working as a model already?

Last edited by Mw99 on 16 Dec 2007, 8:42 am, edited 1 time in total.

I've won or come second in 7 national speech competitions.

AS doesn't mean you can't do public speaking, especially if it's a speech... it's all written and practised beforehand, so you just go on up there and deliver it.

And delivering it is the difficult part.