Autistic Adults on Gestalt Language Processing and Scripting
This podcast episode with Lily Konyn and Alyssa Hillary Zisk aired on May 10th, 2023, and I cannot stop thinking about it!
One moment I keep coming back to was when Lily explained her perspective and lived experience when it comes to the “brain-to-mouth filter”.
Lily explains:
“Sometimes there are words in my brain that just have to come out. They don't mean anything, but the brain-to-mouth filter is not there. And we hear that a lot from people who experience significant apraxia or dyspraxia, that they just can't stop the words from coming out, regardless of whether they mean anything at all.”
Lily relates this to how we can get songs stuck in our heads. Just like I can’t help myself from singing out loud when I hear songs like Spice Girls “Wannabe” (am I right?!) and then those words start looping repeatedly.
Lily described how she and many other autistic adults can get phrases stuck in their heads, and just like how I sing the song in my head, the phrases in their heads come out of their mouths too. For many autistic kids and adults, this repetitive loop of words is a daily struggle, and it can be tough to control.
AND— (even more important) it may not be helpful to control.
Lily reports that scripting the same word/phrase repeatedly can be a comfort, especially when it's about something she's really into.
Lily expands on this in her article over at Assistiveware:
I use echolalia all the time, and it feels so many different ways. When all I can get out is the phrase stuck in my head, but I can’t explain why, it’s frustrating. When I’m telling you what I mean by echoing my favorite television shows, it’s joyful. When it’s tumbling out of my mouth just because it feels nice to say, it’s cozy. The only time it feels deeply negative, however, is when someone disconnects from me because of it.
One of the big takeaways for me from this moment was that it's really not just about using AAC tools “effectively”; it's about understanding and accepting the different ways people express themselves… whatever that looks like.
Instead of seeing repetitive communication as a problem, let’s get curious and dive into the possibilities of what is being communicated and why, and not write it off as a “behavior,” “nonfunctional,” or “stimming”.
It's all about empathy, acceptance, and making sure everyone's voice is heard
As Lily says in her article:
Listen to me. Affirm that I’ve said something, even if you don’t understand it. Repeat it back to me. Nod. Tell me that you’re trying to understand. Help me regulate. Find joy in my echoes!
If you haven’t listened to the episode yet, you can find it here. There is SO much wisdom and insight from both Lily and Alyssa that you won’t want to miss out on!
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