aactailmon

[aactailmon]

shoutout to all the neurodivergent folks whose verbal language alternates between:

eloquent and fully articulate speech, filled with emotion and detail. where every word is thoughtful and is strung together perfectly to prevent misunderstanding. at times, even using words that are almost unknown or wildly underused by normal people. where grammar and proper conjugation is ideal, and everything is in there for a reason. communication is fluent and flows smoothly between thoughts, and is not unlike a medieval herald recounting a message to their townsfolk

and:

short sentence. not much word used. broken grammar; no want to be proper. don’t want speak, but must speak, so little speak. sometime not even speak real word, sometimes garbled mismash of words. lots of umm and uhh and stutters. no tone, sound like computer even.

(I am that neurodivergent critter lol)

[aactailmon]

I am in a tough situation right now. I’m wanting to get rediagnosed with Autism, not only because I want it to be up-to-date since I was last diagnosed with the DSM 4, but also because I want to know what my support need level is so that I can maybe gain access to resources that I otherwise would not have.

The thing is, our healthcare system is so strained for resources that getting diagnosed again would need to be done through a private clinic, possibly costing me thousands and having me wait several years just to get in and see someone. And once that diagnosis is all said and done, getting those resources would probably take ages by themselves. Case in point, I still have yet to hear back from ODSP over a year later about my caseworker. I have absolutely nobody helping me out with accessing the program’s resources and have to figure everything out by myself, which is near impossible considering the fact that I am disabled with cognitive symptoms.

So I have to wonder if getting rediagnosed is even going to help me any. I have to wonder if I’d get anymore access to new resources than I already have, because our healthcare system is suffering from a shortage of doctors and overall resources. I have to wonder if all of this is just a hopeless endeavour and I won’t ever know just how much support I need, and I just have to be okay with that somehow,

[aactailmon]

i don’t like the common assumption that if an autistic is smart/skilled and can speak but can’t keep a job etc it’s necessarily bc of social skills problems instead of executive function/movement/motor skills/language/prompt responsive-dependence/sensory issues or other disabilities or abuse or discouraging competence and taking initiative or a combination or or or 

[aactailmon]

I made a poll earlier for Non Verbal Non Speaking Individuals, and now this poll is for individuals who can speak but use AAC part time or full time.

The First Part is Verbal Ability, and The Second Part Is How Ofter You Use AAC. Example, someone may have full verbal capabilities but choose to use AAC, for what ever reason.

[aactailmon]

Happy Autism awareness and acceptance month everyone. May you all be blessed with never seeing the worst takes about Autism for the entire month.

But in all seriousness, I hope you all have a good month. Please remember to uplift those who are higher support needs, who are semiverbal or nonverbal, who use AAC, who are intellectually disabled, what are ABA survivors, and who are people of color. The Autism community is diverse and far from being a monolith, so please make sure that you are listening to people from all different walks of life.

May you get the chance to info dump to someone who really wants to listen to what you say, may your special interests continue to bring you joy, may your conversations not be awkward, and may you continue to grow and learn about yourself and the world around you.

[aactailmon]

Currently realizing that most people don’t wish that they could just type during every conversation they’re in. Most people don’t wish that they could just project their thoughts into the minds of others because speech is too tiring and overwhelming. Most people actually prefer to speak using their mouth words.

Like huh??? What do you mean you think talking verbally is the best way to communicate with someone? What do you mean you’re able to get your point across fine just through speech??

[aactailmon]

I wish that verbal communication wasn’t widely seen as the only valid form of communication. I wish that people would be willing to accommodate for me using AAC. I wish that my family didn’t see me using AAC as an “excuse to not speak.”

Why does it matter that I constantly have trouble with speaking? Why does it matter that I sometimes can’t speak at all? Why does it matter that I want to use AAC as a substitute for speech when my speech clearly isn’t up to par? Why does me using accommodations for anything matter that much?

If anything, shouldn’t you be glad that I’ve found a method of communication that works for me? Shouldn’t you be proud of me for the fact that I was able to find this on my own? Shouldn’t you be proud of me for taking the initiative to accommodate for myself?

Speaking is one of the most exhausting things for me to do, and yet I’m expected to just keep doing it as if practice is the thing that’s going to make it any easier for me. As if I didn’t have a speech delay as a young child and as if I don’t literally have Autism, which affects one’s ability to communicate. It makes me so angry to think that people don’t want me around unless I fit the bill of being perfectly normal in their eyes, when doing so has just made me miserable and burnt out. I’m tired of being told to conform to other people’s standards, as if they actually mean anything in the real world.

I wish I wasn’t made to speak on so many occasions. It’s to the point where I sometimes don’t even speak, even if I really do have things that I want to say, because people think that using AAC is just an excuse to not use your “real words.” It makes me so upset, but people don’t care. People only care about what you have to say if you’re able to say it verbally.

[aactailmon]

Decided to bite the bullet and get Speech Assistant today, and I already love it a lot. I have been working on setting up my categories and boards tonight and I love that I can add images to my phrases, since I am a very visual person. The only things I wish it had was more built-in symbol options and subcategories within subcategories, but the first issue is made better with the amount of free symbols the community has been making for this purpose. I have. Lot left to work on, and I likely will need to make my own symbols for some of my buttons as well, so I’m already very excited to see what else I can do with the app.

[aactailmon]

What's with the recent influx of radqueers coming into the AAC Tumblr community. I'm in multiple different Tumblr communities and there hasn't been this many radqueers coming to any of the communities I'm in besides this one.

I am in my mid 20's, don't make me put "DNI radqueers" on my account, I'm too old for this shit.

[aactailmon]

AAC app by asdwithsophie

[aactailmon]

today, april 11th, is the anniversary of Mel Baggs' death. Mel Baggs was one of the early founders of the neurodiversity movement and believed that no one was too disabled for human rights, something that modern nd movements fail to understand to this day. sie was so instrumental to my understanding of literally everything. sie died from medical ableism and neglect during the beginning of the pandemic. we would be nowhere fucking near where we are now without hir. i've decided to make a masterlist of some of my favorite posts of hirs, organized into different categories.

(some of these are listed in more than one category because they overlap so much)

here are some of the "essentials" (what you might have already read by hir/should read first):

hir memorial site hosted by ASAN:

In My Language

the oak manifesto

There is ableism at the heart of your oppression, no matter what your oppression might be

Getting The Truth Out (many pages, parody of bad autism awareness campaign called "getting the word out")

the meaning of self-advocacy

what makes institutions bad

aspie supremacy can kill

here are some of hir beautiful writings on perceiving/communicating with hir environment as an autistic person, and on communication in general:

up in the clouds and down in the valley: my richness and yours

distance underthought

the naked mechanisms of echolalia

empty mirrors and redwoods

the fireworks are interesting

hir tumblr tag #sensing (@withasmoothroundstone)

on personhood and who has the authority to take it away:

being an unperson

what it means to be real

empty mirrors and redwoods

on institutions and the I/DD service system:

caregiver abuse takes many forms

"i don't know that person's program"

what my home means to me

dd service system tag

god help the critic of the dawn: glamour and its fallout

what makes institutions bad

post on the JRC

outposts in our heads

on online social justice communities/their inaccessibility:

Your politics have a problem when they contradict the real-life experiences of the people they're supposed to be about.

politics, ethics and mental widgets

hir tumblr tags #outside the wall and #little packages (@withasmoothroundstone)

misc:

The Bones My Family Gave Me

Please violate only one stereotype at a time

My sort of people, just as real as theirs.

Reviving the concept of cousins

gender tag

this is hir poems and creative works:

this is hir writing on autistics.org:

may hir memory be a blessing/revolution.

[aactailmon]

Comprehensive Guide to Verbality Terms and Alternatives

This guide provides an overview of different verbality terms, conditions affecting speech, and alternatives to ableist language. The goal is to foster respect, understanding, and inclusivity for people with varying speech abilities.

SECTION 1: VERBALITY TERMS

1.1 Core Verbality Terms

- Nonverbal – Unable to speak at all, ever; often relies on AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication).

- Minimally Verbal – Can say only a small number of specific words, typically up to 50 or less.

- Limitedverbal – Uses spoken language in limited settings and for specific purposes.

- Semiverbal – Can speak in specific circumstances but demonstrates moderate difficulty speaking most of the time; may use AAC.

- Hemiverbal – Falls between semiverbal and demiverbal, speaking in some contexts but experiencing occasional or frequent verbal difficulty.

- Demiverbal – Can reliably speak most of the day, most days of the week, but has mild to moderate difficulty speaking anywhere from slightly to half of the time.

- Majorityverbal – Close to fully verbal but not quite; may experience brain-mouth disconnects, delayed speech, or articulation difficulties.

- Fullverbal – Has full ability to speak (except during autistic shutdowns or similar conditions); speaks as much as is comfortable.

- Hyperverbal – Speaks more frequently than typical verbal individuals, whether by choice or involuntarily. Can also be caused by schizophrenia.

1.2 Variable or Context-Dependent Terms

- Verbalflux – Experiences fluctuations in verbal ability and intensity.

- Choiceverbal – Chooses not to speak much despite being verbal (e.g., due to discomfort, overwhelm, or difficulty understanding social cues).

- Maskedverbal – Appears fullverbal by masking or forcing themselves to speak more or less than feels natural.

- Altverbal – Umbrella term for individuals who are not traditionally fullverbal, including hyperverbal, choiceverbal, semiverbal, nonverbal, etc.

1.3 Mutism & Diagnostic Terms

- Selective/Situational Mutism – A diagnosable anxiety disorder where a person is unable (not unwilling) to speak in specific social situations due to anxiety or panic.

- Alter-Specific Verbal Terms (for systems with varying alter speech abilities):

- Nonvox – A headmate who can never speak, regardless of the body’s verbal abilities.

- Vox – A headmate who can speak a “normal amount” regardless of the body’s verbal state.

SECTION 2: VERBAL SHUTDOWNS & SPEECH LOSS

2.1 What is a Verbal Shutdown?

A verbal shutdown is a temporary period where speaking becomes difficult or impossible. It can be triggered by:

- Negative emotions (anxiety, stress, sensory overload)

- Neurological factors (autistic shutdowns, executive dysfunction)

- Unknown causes

Key Features of Verbal Shutdowns:

- Typically lasts a few hours to a few days.

- Similar to a phone dying—it may turn on briefly but needs time to “recharge.”

- Even if speech occurs momentarily, the individual remains in shutdown.

2.2 Alternatives to the Term “Going Nonverbal”

To describe speech loss more accurately, consider these alternatives:

- Verbal crash

- Verbal shutdown

- Speech loss episode

- Losing speech

- Contextually verbal

- Speech-variable

- Speech-varied

- Irregularly verbal

- Irregularly speaking

- Speech Block

More

2.3 The in-between

- Intermittent speech – Speech that is available sometimes but not always. Someone with intermittent speech might be able to talk in certain situations but lose speech due to exhaustion, overload, illness, or environmental factors. Speaking might be more reliable in structured settings, like giving a presentation, but unpredictable in casual or stressful situations.

- Unreliable speech – Speech that doesn’t always reflect what the person intends to say. Words may come out as automatic scripts, verbal tics, or substitutions that change the intended meaning. Someone might answer “I’m fine” out of habit, even when they’re in distress, or repeat the last option in a multiple-choice question without meaning to.

- Insufficient speech – Speech that conveys some information but doesn’t fully express what the person wants to say. Someone might rely on familiar phrases or scripts that fit a situation but lack precision. For example, they might be able to say, “Houston, we have a problem,” but need AAC to clarify that they specifically need help.

- Expensive speech – Speech that takes a significant amount of energy, effort, or focus to produce. Speaking might still be possible, but it comes at a cost, often leaving the person mentally or physically drained. This can be due to factors like fatigue, sensory overwhelm, anxiety, or executive dysfunction. Someone with expensive speech might still be able to talk in some situations, like ordering at a cafe, but may choose to use AAC to conserve energy for later.

SECTION 3: SPECIFIC SPEECH DIFFICULTIES

3.1 Speech Disruptions

- Stuttering / Stammering – Repeating sounds/words, prolonging sounds, or experiencing “blocks” where no sound comes out.

- Cluttering – Rapid speech with erratic rhythm, poor grammar/syntax, and difficulty organizing thoughts.

3.2 Pronunciation & Sound Production Issues

- Paraphasia – Producing extra, unintended syllables/words or substituting incorrect ones.

- Speech Sound Disorder / Phonemic Disorder – Difficulty pronouncing specific sounds.

- Lisping – Difficulty with sibilants (“s” sounds).

- Rhotacism – Difficulty with rhotics (“r” sounds).

3.3 Word Use & Grammar Issues

- Incoherence / Word Salad – Using confused or disorganized language with seemingly unconnected words and phrases.

- Schizophasia – Disorganized speech due to schizophrenia.

- Stilted Speech – Overly formal, flowery, or excessively “dictionary-like” language.

3.4 Speech Length & Excessive Detail

- Logorrhea – Excessively rapid and wordy speech.

- Clanging / Association Chaining / Glossomania – Stringing together words based on sound (rhymes, alliteration) rather than meaning.

- Overinclusion – Inability to eliminate irrelevant or inappropriate details.

- Circumstantial Speech – Answering a question with excessive, unnecessary detail before eventually getting to the point.

3.5 Disorganized Thought & Speech Patterns

- Flight of Ideas – Abruptly jumping between ideas/topics.

- Loose Association / Derailment – Frequently jumping to unrelated or barely related thoughts.

- Tangential Speech / Tangentiality – Wandering off-topic and never returning.

- Thought Blocking / Obstructive Thought – Suddenly losing a train of thought and being unable to restart it.

3.6 Stuck or Repetitive Speech

- Perseveration – Getting stuck on words, phrases, or ideas and repeating them without being able to shift topics.

- Pressured Speech – Speaking rapidly with an overwhelming urge to continue talking, making interruptions difficult.

3.7 Limited or Minimal Speech

- Alogia / Laconic Speech – Speaking very little or providing less detail than expected.

- Distractible Speech – Losing a train of thought due to external distractions.

Don't believe me that there is an issue with vocabulary?

One

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AND MORE

Please check back, as this gets updated

[aactailmon]

Hello. I haven't posted to this blog in a while due to going through a lot of personal stuff lately, the start of the year has been very difficult for me. I still want to try being active on here though, so I'm trying to get back into using AAC again.

Today I am using Speak4Me. It's a very simple program that allows text to speech for typed text, and I do like how it uses the built-in Apple keyboard because it's what I'm most familiar with. But other than that, there's really not much to the app. I don't think I can save any phrases on here unlike SpeechAssistant or Proloquo4text, for example.

I guess I should look into buying SpeechAssistant for myself, I guess I'm just afraid of wasting my money on something that I'm still too scared to use. If anything, using AAC just makes me feel stupid, because I feel like I'm just making my speech problems out to be worse than they really are, even though speaking is not only physically and mentally exhausting, but also something I've struggled with growing up due to the disconnect between my brain and my vocal chords. I did have some speech delay anyway, and I feel like that trouble with speech never really went away, but I feel like people dismiss me because of the fact that when I do speak, it's with very stilted language. I don't have the small vocabulary that most people think of when they think about autistic people who have trouble with speech, so I feel like that gives the impression that I speak better than I think or whatever. My vocabulary is fine, but it never feels like I can truly express my thoughts, feelings and opinions through my speech well enough.

[aactailmon]

Difficult with speaking can mean motor movements. But can also mean finding words very hard. It can mean sensory issue with speech making hard. It can mean brain uses lot of energy to make speech so it's hard. It can mean brain forgets what words or language is even if the mouth can still go through rote movement if prompted the right way, the words come out but it's like a machine, you put in the input and you get the output. So many ways.

Not everyone have problems with speech for the same reason. Not everyone know why they have it either (interoception problems) So the way they explain it might seem strange, or they may not have the language for it at all. They may only be able to describe it in relation to other things because they don't have the words themselves. People who have something causing them problems with speech can't be expected to have perfect language to tell what's going on!

If someone says they are having problems doing speech but they can't really explain why, that's okay. If someone can only say "Because I don't want to/don't like it!" That's also okay. Regardless, if it's causing so much distress that it's effecting their life, effecting the decisions they make about how to move through world, then something is going on clearly.

One not more real than the other. Everyone has different experiences no one is the same even among people who have speech problems from the same condition or cause. Even people exactly the same in all disabled ways may describe it differently.

If someone tells me they have problems with speaking and it's causing them access issues in their life or making their life hard then that's all that is what is important and should be focused on.

How can it be made better? What about their communication isn't working? What tools are available that could help? What language may allow them to better understand their experience, by allowing them to research and connect with people who are similar to them?

[aactailmon]

I am a bit late, but happy New Year! ! One of my resolutions for the year is to use AAC more, so I hope I can post here more often and work hard to use it whenever I feel I need it.

[aactailmon]

forever tired of our voices being turned into commodity.

forever tired of thorough medaocrity in the AAC business. how that is rewarded. How it fails us as users. how not robust and only robust by small small amount communication systems always chosen by speech therapists and funded by insurance.

forever tired of profit over people.

forever tired of how companies collect data on every word we’ve ever said and sell to people.

forever tired of paying to communicate. of how uninsured disabled people just don’t get a voice many of the time. or have to rely on how AAC is brought into classrooms — which usually is managed to do in every possible wrong way.

forever tired of the branding and rebranding of how we communicate. Of this being amazing revealation over and over that nonspeakers are “in there” and should be able to say things. of how every single time this revelation comes with pre condition of leaving the rest behind, who can’t spell or type their way out of the cage of ableist oppression. or are not given chance & resources to. Of the branding being seen as revolution so many times and of these companies & practitioners making money off this “revolution.” of immersion weeks and CRP trainings that are thousands of dollars and wildly overpriced letterboards, and of that one nightmare Facebook group g-d damm it. How this all is put in language of communication freedom. 26 letters is infinite possibilities they say - but only for the richest of families and disabled people. The rest of us will have to live with fewer possibilities.

forever tired of engineer dads of AAC users who think they can revolutionize whole field of AAC with new terrible designed apps that you can’t say anything with them. of minimally useful AI features that invade every AAC app to cash in on the new moment and not as tool that if used ethically could actually help us, but as way of fixing our grammar our language our cultural syntax we built up to sound “proper” to sound normal. for a machine, a large language model to model a small language for us, turn our inhuman voices human enough.

forever tired of how that brand and marketing is never for us, never for the people who actually use it to communicate. it is always for everyone around us, our parents and teachers paras and SLPs and BCBAs and practitioners and doctors and everyone except the person who ends up stuck stuck with a bad organized bad implemented bad taught profit motivated way to talk. of it being called behavior problems low ability incompetence noncompliance when we don’t use these systems.

you all need to do better. We need to democritize our communication, put it in our own hands. (My friend & communication partner who was in Occupy Wall Street suggested phrase “Occupy AAC” and think that is perfect.) And not talking about badly made non-robust open source apps either. Yes a robust system needs money and recources to make it well. One person or community alone cannot turn a robotic voice into a human one. But our human voice should not be in hands of companies at all.

(this is about the Tobii Dynavox subscription thing. But also exploitive and capitalism practices and just lazy practices in AAC world overall. Both in high tech “ mainstream “ AAC and methods that are like ones I use in sense that are both super stigmatized and also super branded and marketed, Like RPM and S2C and spellers method. )

[aactailmon]

My Avaz trial ran out, and I never got the chance to use it around other people. Not sure what I want to do next in terms of AAC, if I want to practice with this or TD Snap, or if I want to go ahead and buy speech assistant.

Wish I didn't need to think about buying an AAC app, this shit should really be free and accessible to everybody, nobody should have to buy their voices for sometimes hundreds of dollars. As disabled people, we shouldn't have to be at the mercy of the corporations who are the reason why many of us are able to have a voice and communicate. Makes me so mad to think about.