'Scripting'

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Is it common for those on the spectrum to use 'scripting' when trying to communicate? Or is this exclusive to just those on the lower end of the spectrum?

For instance, whenever I need someone to help me, I usually begin each sentence with "I am trying to ascertain where/when...."

But whenever someone initiates a conversation with me, it's unbelievably difficult for me to say anything other than one-word answers.

So-called "milder" people script too, because even some of us who are more fully verbal still can actually be at a loss as to the correct words or correct way to say something.

I'm verbal but if I know there is an important conversation or phone call coming up, if I don't script out for myself certain things I need to say, I forget, and I get too anxious within the conversation to articulate properly. I wind up either saying the wrong thing, failing to say something important, or just coming out with something muddled.

This is in things like an appointment with the doctor, a phone call to the tax office, or a lot of the time just conversations with people I know. I have to have "stock greeting," stock replies, etc. I get muddled just responding to a "Good morning" if I'm not expecting one.

I am lower end. Non verbal.

But I script random words over and over as a stim.

Like ice cream icceee cream

Or cookie cooookie cookkiee

I would likely be considered on the milder end (though I have other comorbids that affect my functioning so it's hard to assess) and I script things almost constantly. For phone calls I write out a script on paper. For random social interactions I'll script out conversations in advance because if I have to rely on spontaneous responses I'll be much slower.

My deepest, most abiding love is theatre, which a doctor said I was probably naturally drawn to because everything is scripted, and that's probably why I rely so heavily on scripting now.

Right now my only social interaction is my part time job and that's just the same script over and over.

When I'm in line to checkout at a grocery store, I rehearse what I'm going to say in my head. I also have standard replies that I typically use during small talk.

I'm just not that comfortable talking spontaneously with people. I'm very shy though, so I think much of this has more to do with social anxiety than my autism. I am pretty high functioning as far as my autism goes, but I have a fair amount of comorbids like ADHD, generalized anxiety disorder, mild depression, and PTSD.

It is difficult to write essays in school because there simply isn't always a line from my textbook or whatever that I can script from.

I think that most of the words I use for communication are in script format. Phrases I've heard from earlier in life, and I change them a little to adapt for my purpose.

I wouldn't say it's specific to those on the lower end. I'm on the higher end, and I do it. While I don't plan conversations in advance anymore, (I gave that up when I realized that only the first few lines would go according to plan), when I'm talking, I recognize that bits of my speech come from various things I've heard or read before. The more recently I've seen it, the more closely my speech follows it.

I'm on the higher functioning end, and I script all the time. Most of the time it's a single word or phrase from a movie or TV show that I repeat to myself over and over because it sounds cool or is comforting. The only time I script movie dialogue in front of other people is when they say something that reminds me of one of my quotes, then I'll just slide it into my conversation. My friends, family and therapist are all used to it. These days they just ask me, "What was that from?". When I'm about to meet new people, I'll script lines from my own head and memorize them, like if someone asks how I am, the automatic response is, "Good, you?" I get massively thrown off when people ask a variant of the question, like, "What's up?" or "What's going on?" My brain freezes as I try to push past all the literal answers that spring to mind and remember what they actually intended to ask me. When I have to greet others, I just use the phrase, "Hello I'm StarTrekker it's very nice to meet you." Sometimes it comes out funny or too fast though, because I'm anxious and not really thinking about the words, just mindlessly repeating a script.

I also use cue cards (like PECS, but with no pictures) that I created myself to remind me of what to do in specific situations, like when I'm overwhelmed or angry, or when I don't know what I should be doing at work. These cards also include examples of things I can say in those situations, so I can just read straight off the card without the pressure of having to remember the social rules or what words to use, especially if I'm overwhelmed or upset.