elysian1969 wrote:
Difficulty with language is AS related. I have a bit of an advantage in making myself understood as a hyperlexic because I read constantly, and therefore I can recognize the patterns and common usage- but that advantage is often confined to the use of the written word. I am not an eloquent speaker, and if I get upset or emotional I cannot speak effectively, if at all.
I have no problem with the
denotations of words, but sometimes I miss the
connotations, the deeper nuances. I tend to be extremely literal. I also have problems with sending and interpreting non-verbals. The correct use of eye contact is completely vexing for me, which is why in my middle age I went back to glasses from contacts to have a little something to hide behind. When I was a little kid I was constantly getting yelled at for staring, so I learned to avoid eye contact whenever possible. That makes conversation really interesting...and stressful.
Practice helps, as well as exposure to both written and spoken conversation. It is always possible to improve communication skills with practice. For me spoken conversation is always a learned skill that does not come naturally. I have to work at it.
I'd say this pretty much describes me! Even though I don't need glasses I do like to wear them occasionally to hide behind. I was a good reader and have learnt much about conversation through books. I occasionally need to do a google search to make sure I am using a word or phrase correctly
I find conversation very stressful when I am emotional and recently when my boyfriend split up with me over the phone (thoughtless bastard!) I really struggled to get out words without sounding totally mental. I had to write him a whatsapp message today to clarify and answer some points he had raised as I am much more eloquent and fluent in written form.
androbot01 wrote:
Yes. I have trouble translating my thoughts into words. It's like the words are not able to capture everything.
This also describes me very well. In fact this is what I told my doctor this week when I went to see him about my anxiety. He asked if I had spoken to my boyfriend about it and I said I struggled to talk about things sometimes because I can't even put how I'm feeling into words. Sometimes it's like there is a barrier between my overflowing emotions and my ability to convert that feeling into a word that adequately conveys exactly that feeling to the other person.