When the Words Run Out (There's Some Other Stuff)

Published May 04, 2009 @ 04:35PM PT

I'm (well, OK, perhaps this is open to debate) a pretty skilled writer. I wasn't born that way though; I've studied. And practiced. A lot. I've worked hard; made communication with words a priority. To someone who reads this blog, it probably looks like the words just flow out every day, and, well, sometimes they do, but there's a lot that goes unseen too.

I've been writing pretty much non-stop for a week and a half. I've had to prepare two public testimonies for state hearings. I had the honor and privilege of being asked to present on one of my favorite topics, augmentative and alternative communication, to the IACC. I've been working on grant proposals for my research group. Extra lots of work means extra stress means I rely more and more on my keyboard and notepad for my communication, which means more writing, typing, writing--

However it may look though, words really don't come easily to me. Words are non-native to my thinking. They are the flattened, translated, always-less-that-accurate shadows of what I truly want to express. Words come more easily than they once did, but they are still hard work. Hard work that no one sees from the other side of the Internet from me.

I am, at this point, pretty much all word-ed out.

So, a reminder: not all communication happens in words. Nor is all communication best served through words. Some alternatives:

Gesture
Body language
Sign languages
Consistent idiosyncratic behavior
Facial expressions
Non-speech utterances
Dance
Music
Visual arts
Formal visual languages
Touch
more--what else?--but this is where I run the rest of the way out of words--

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Comments (9)

No. not all communication is best served through words. A form of communication is only delivered with skill when the receiver returns a dependable or favorable response.

If someone can depend on receiving an apple when they point at one, that is a communication skill they have developed. The only reason for making the process more complicated to claim that the skill is more advanced is the need to display what society arrogantly refers to as necessary sophistication.

Posted by Ed none on 05/04/2009 @ 05:35PM PT
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Excellent presentation today, Dora. Ari, Paula and I were there and it was very well received. I heard Thomas Insel say that the AAC presentation was one of the best the IACC has heard, and I agree. Did you work closely with the other AAC presenter? She did a great job too, and seems to hold many of the same beliefs.

Posted by Katie miller on 05/04/2009 @ 07:03PM PT
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Thanks Katie, this is very, very good to hear! It was so weird not being able to actually see the audience; I had even less of a clue than usual of how it was being received.

I have never communicated with the other presenter before, and unfortunately there were some technical issues and I couldn't hear the first half of her presentation. I loved what she said in her second half though and am eagerly awaiting the recording to show up on the NIH archive so I can view the whole thing (including you and Paula and Ari's testimonies)!

Posted by Dora Raymaker on 05/04/2009 @ 07:56PM PT
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Our alternative school went on a field trip to see Horses for Healing. It is a non-profit organization. There was no charge. The owner talked about non-verbal communication. The kids were impressed. Her message was that animals are accepting of humans because 90% of their communication is non-verbal. She felt more at home with animals than humans. The kids involved with felt unconditional love and companionship from the horses. Regular riders felt comforted and less stressed in life. This was significant because the students at the school had difficulty forming relationships with others. There was a positive change in these students with seeing smiles and talking about the trip afterwards.

Posted by L I on 05/04/2009 @ 08:01PM PT
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I've always feel that way--relaxed, comforted, at home, in mutual understanding--about cats :-) I like all animals a lot. It is an easier sort of communication for me.

Posted by Dora Raymaker on 05/04/2009 @ 09:12PM PT
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@Dora. "I like all animals a lot. It is an easier sort of communication for me".

Dora, I have heard these words from others. You say it so well, it is easier, no obstacles.

When the vet took our girl scouts to a nursing home the girls marveled over the reaction of a woman with one leg. As soon as she saw the 3 legged cat run on the floor there was such delight in her face. "Look at him run", she said several times.
The cat was an inspiration for her in life. No words by the staff had the same impact.

Posted by L I on 05/05/2009 @ 10:04AM PT
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Wendy loves birds and...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DrsWPE-3bQ is a Youtube movie I made of my autistic friend Wendy Lawson and her fantastic relationship with animals of every sort. I get on very well with animals myself, but I can't for example, walk through a flock of pigeons without them flying away, as Wendy can.
Your discussions about communication are always interesting and make me want to share them with a lot of other people, thank you!

Posted by dinah murray on 05/05/2009 @ 02:55PM PT
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I have a cousin who was born with water on the brain. He is blind, and at age 6 he can only speak at most 10 words. He has an amazing ability to somehow, however, get across his feelings by using something other than words. He cries when hes sad or in pain, he laughs when hes happy, he yawns when hes tired, and when he wants to eat he gestures towards his mouth. it may seem simple, but it works great for us and hes happy.

Posted by Sara O'Shea on 05/06/2009 @ 09:18AM PT
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@Sara. Simple communications that gets across feelings. It is interesting how people find ways to express themselves. It's amazing how each person finds their own way in the world that works for them. Thanks for sharing.

Posted by L I on 05/06/2009 @ 11:57AM PT
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Dora is committed to improving quality of life for individuals on the autistic spectrum--including herself! She is Co-director of the Academic Autistic Spectrum Partnership in Research and Education and a member of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network's Board of Directors.