ASD and the voice

[Ihaveaspergers]

Have you had issues with your voice?
Ex. a somewhat breathy and monotone voice. Do you have or did you have difficulties expressing emotions with your voice?
I find that for many people with ASD these issues are bad habits ie one just need the correct practice and exercices. Don't get me wrong. I am not sure everyone can just practice and get rid of their voice issues. For me it works. I do some exercices with a professional singing teacher and speech therapist.
How did you work with this? What has helped you?

 

[Progster]

I'm a bit monotone. Even when I try to put emotion or inflection into my voice, it still sounds flat. I sometimes do try to sound cheerful with people, but still can't do this social sing-song voice that many people have.

 

[unperson]

have a background in singing, but had to do some speech therapy too. Once when I was talking to my dogs in that singsongy exaggerated, overnunciated voice one uses with pets or little kids, someone told me that was how you should talk. ugh, i try but it repulses me to talk to adults like i would to pets.

 

[Pats]

I'm a bit monotone. Even when I try to put emotion or inflection into my voice, it still sounds flat. I sometimes do try to sound cheerful with people, but still can't do this social sing-song voice that many people have.

That sing song stuff gets on my nerves. Have you ever listened to southern women greetings? I was out with my daughter in law and ran into one of her co-workers - the exciting sing song greetings, you'd think they hadn't seen each other in years. I could never talk like that, nor would I want to.
I'm like you, I try to put emotion in my tone sometimes, but I don't think it comes out that way - still pretty flat.

 

[Progster]

Have you ever listened to southern women greetings?

No, I haven't - I'm in Europe. In the UK it's getting very sing-songy, with all the hugging and kissing that goes with it. It just isn't how I express myself, though.

 

[Suzanne]

No and one reason why I thought I could not possibly have aspergers, since I do not have a montoned voice. But, despite that, I was confirmed as being on the spectrum and not mildly, as it were.

I do hate the sound of my voice though. It makes me cringe when I hear it.

I am terrible with expressing emotions. It takes me rather a long time to recognise an emotion I am feeling which is rather annoying.

 

[Ihaveaspergers]

have a background in singing, but had to do some speech therapy too. Once when I was talking to my dogs in that singsongy exaggerated, overnunciated voice one uses with pets or little kids, someone told me that was how you should talk. ugh, i try but it repulses me to talk to adults like i would to pets.

so there is no difference between talking to dogs and human adults?
Should we really talk like the woman in this video?

 

[Giraffes]

I speak loudly and find moderation very difficult, i also speak at great speed if i'm interested and engaged, my work requires me at times to speak more softly and less, i find this very stressful and exhausting, the reciprocal nature of communication is often a void for me, you know all that ummms and checking meaning and turn taking ahhhhhh!!!!!!!

 

[damoisellepeachy]

I think in recent years I sound very monotone. I also feel like my voice is unintentionally loud whenever I talk. And even when I try to put emotion in my voice it doesn’t work, I feel a little frustrated with it sometimes

 

[Tom]

To each their own, but personally I hate that show.

 

[Hylian]

I get told all the time that I speak somewhat monotone. I don't usually notice it because I actually do try to emulate proper tone when I'm talking. lol

 

[Gracey]

I can agree with exercising vocal chords.
'if you don't use it you lose it'


If I'm relaxed and just being myself, I sound bored bordering on sarcastic.
(saying "Well done" without inflection sounds sarcastic)

saying "Well Done ! "
- with inflection and smile is warmly received.

I can switch it on when I have to.
But I don't always remember to switch it on.
Much depends on how busy/stressed/mythered or how many other thoughts I'm juggling at the time.

 

[Au Naturel]

My voice can be loud. But it isn't a bad voice. I can hold a tune and I've been told it is pleasing. I love to get on stage and belt one out and I get lots of applause.

 

[Aspychata]

l said : l am sooo impressed" to the maintenance guy and he reported me for being rude. It was taking a really long time to say he caulked this and stained that. I have stained, l have caulked. Big deal.
As a side note, guys with very low deep voices were found to be the mostly likely to mess around on their partners by some university study.

 

[Au Naturel]

l said : l am sooo impressed" to the maintenance guy and he reported me for being rude. It was taking a really long time to say he caulked this and stained that. I have stained, l have caulked. Big deal.
As a side note, guys with very low deep voices were found to be the mostly likely to mess around on their partners by some university study.

I can find a study somewhere to support almost anything.

 

[VictorR]

I've gotten bad reviews for sounding flat, "robotic" (?!) and not empathetic enough.

Apparently some of my clients really wanted to hear me say (in a sing-songy voice) "I'm soooo very terribly sorry ..."

Sorry, I don't fake stuff. I'm sorry to hear of your misfortune or loss, but I'm not a counselor, your best friend, or a bartender who's here to cheer you up or drown your sorrows in alcohol.

 

[Soleil]

I don't have serious issues with my voice, but I think I tend to speak a little quietly.

Sometimes though I'll try to say something and I'm waaay too quiet, or sometimes no voice at all. This is usually when I'm responding to someone unexpectedly, like thanking someone for holding the door, or saying hi back to someone who greeted me.

 

[SusanLR]

I've had family members fall asleep listening to me telling or explaining about something.
It makes me feel they are bored and aren't interested, but, they wake up and apologize.
I've been told my voice is hypnotic and soothing is why they fall asleep.
It's soft and monotone. Makes for a good hypnotist.

The volume and tone can change without my thinking about it if get angry or really enthusiastic over
something. I'll even look you in the eye when that happens!

 

[Suzanne]

I speak loudly and find moderation very difficult, i also speak at great speed if i'm interested and engaged, my work requires me at times to speak more softly and less, i find this very stressful and exhausting, the reciprocal nature of communication is often a void for me, you know all that ummms and checking meaning and turn taking ahhhhhh!!!!!!!

Me too. When it is brought to my notice, then I can hear myself shouting, but it is difficult to lower my voice and it has always made me feel ashamed.

I am crushed when someone says: hush, you are too loud.

I have to concentrate on speaking softly, which is a strain mentally.

 

[Ihaveaspergers]

why don't people with ASD ussually get speech/voice training? It seems to be a major issue. Many aspies are very good with words and grammar but terrible with prosody.