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Varying degrees of difficulty with communication, especially in a social context (see 6), is a fundamental aspect of Autistic Spectrum Disorders. Although I am verbal and can usually speak and hear well, I have a variety of difficulties with both expression and comprehension. I have problems with communication all the time which are considerably worse under stress.
- Asking for help:When I am in need of help, I am usually very stressed and unable to express my needs effectively. I have cards which explain my condition and that I need help, but I can become too panicked to approach someone or hand them a card. I can't ask for help or directions, even in a familiar place and not unusually distressed. I am often hesitant to ask for help, even when I know I need it.
- Speech: I can normally speak clearly and without difficulty; under stress, I can lose my ability to express myself and even become non-verbal. I have difficulty controlling my pitch, inflection, and volume to reflect what I am trying to say. I tend to speak too softly and mumble and therefore am difficult to understand.
- Phone and forms: I can't phone people I don't know, even when it is essential. I always need someone else to do this for me or find an alternative when possible. (e.g. E-mail) I also find it impossible to collect, complete, and return forms without direct assistance through the whole process. These forms have been particularly difficult as help has not been readily available and now they are going to be late getting in.
- Expression: I find it difficult to express myself and make my intentions understood. This is much worse under stress, but even when not distressed, I often have difficulty expressing myself clearly. I become very stressed if asked to re-explain myself. I often appear to be doing better than I am, so I need someone who knows me well and recognises the signs that I may be distressed or taking a turn for the worse and asks me the right questions to find out how I am.
- Comprehension: I have difficulty understanding what I read and hear. I have particular difficulties when under stress and with: telephone, unfamiliar people or situations, noisy environments, and answering questions. I have difficulty understanding what people are saying, even when I can hear all the words. My distractability interferes with paying full attention as I need to do to understand.
- Answering questions: I have difficulty understanding and answering questions. I can only answer very specific questions and get upset if there are too many.
- Following instructions: I find it very difficult to understand and execute a set of instructions. I have difficulty following even simple instructions. When I write instructions for myself or others, they are usually excessively detailed. I have difficulty figuring out what was intended by instructions written by other people because they are rarely precise enough to be clear to me. I must have more than 2 step instructions written down because forget what I am supposed to do. I have to have an idea of the whole process before I begin.
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