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Speech struggles

NAS91867

I’m 27f and awaiting assessment date. When asked about how you’re feeling how do you react? When I’m asked about my feelings or if I am trying to speak to somebody about something for example yesterday I was trying to ask my manager if we could come up with a plan for when I’m having a bad day, I really struggle to get the words out. It’s like I know what I want to say in my head but I can’t form the words and then I get really annoyed at myself for not being able to speak. Could this be due to autism or would this be something else? 

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  • I am an autistic person and I don't know if this will help as I've often had the same question as yourself, but I will briefly explain my experiences in relation to your post.

    I have many times in my past suffered with what I used to call "silences" (this was a word I made up for it as I didn't understand why I did it or that it was a thing other people also did). I believe it is selective mutism, but I could be wrong. When I had my silences something would generally trigger me, a strong emotional response that would instantly stop me from talking to people, sometimes I'd even blank them altogether, but most of the time I'd talk by using nods and head shakes, pointing at things etc. I hate when it happens to me because sometimes I can't get out of it, my mind is screaming talk, say something, smile and I just simply can't. This can last hours or even days or me. 

    The other experience which I get a lot I called my "stutter". Again I don't know if there is a word for this as what happens to me is sometimes when I'm talking I forget speech mid sentence. Like if I am talking about a kit kat chocolate bar for example in a conversation I might try to say it out loud, I see the image of the kit kat in my mind, I even see the word spelled out for me and can hear my inner voice saying it, but the speech doesn't leave my mouth. I then sometimes make a gasping sound when this happens and I just stop. After about a minute I can talk again. I'll be honest this one upsets me greatly as I don't understand it.

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  • I am an autistic person and I don't know if this will help as I've often had the same question as yourself, but I will briefly explain my experiences in relation to your post.

    I have many times in my past suffered with what I used to call "silences" (this was a word I made up for it as I didn't understand why I did it or that it was a thing other people also did). I believe it is selective mutism, but I could be wrong. When I had my silences something would generally trigger me, a strong emotional response that would instantly stop me from talking to people, sometimes I'd even blank them altogether, but most of the time I'd talk by using nods and head shakes, pointing at things etc. I hate when it happens to me because sometimes I can't get out of it, my mind is screaming talk, say something, smile and I just simply can't. This can last hours or even days or me. 

    The other experience which I get a lot I called my "stutter". Again I don't know if there is a word for this as what happens to me is sometimes when I'm talking I forget speech mid sentence. Like if I am talking about a kit kat chocolate bar for example in a conversation I might try to say it out loud, I see the image of the kit kat in my mind, I even see the word spelled out for me and can hear my inner voice saying it, but the speech doesn't leave my mouth. I then sometimes make a gasping sound when this happens and I just stop. After about a minute I can talk again. I'll be honest this one upsets me greatly as I don't understand it.

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