Speaking with your hands???

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lol @ the Ron Paul hand flap. At least that is what it was considered by members in another thread which got me wondering:

Who else here does this?


I got into the bad habit of talking with my hands (from watching people). Now I think I'm appearing like an idiot when I do so. I need to stop, but I cant!

I extend my arms, palms up. Then clasp them together and act as if I'm shaking hands, clap. Repeat. Gesture like I'm the Pope and blessing someone while giving directions. Then bring extend my arms again, palms up. Finish by resting them on my hips.





Anyone?

Someone told me Italians are known for this. I am part Italian, but steriotypes are looked down upon, especally in a place like this. I do it quite a bit, just not to the extent you do I think.

Oh, my........I talk with my hands all the time, my sister once broke out laughing when I was describing a teacher, I had no idea it was so prominent. It just helps me to stress what I am trying to get across...

I talk with my hands alot too

Only time I've known people to laugh is when I order pizza on the phone and make a swirling motion with my finger to describe how I want my BBQ sause nutty I know but my gf gets a giggle out of it ^^

Rushfanatic, you're kind of right. I do feel more "comfortable" when I gesture. Like I'm entertaining the guests so they don't pierce my eyes. I'm not sure if that's a good end-result though.


And I do make hand gestures when ordering food. Ha.

Where discussion started
http://www.wrongplanet.net/postx53338-0-0.html

A video of hand flapping!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48SbzefU ... 51953.html

you know, it's funny... with me, i only use hand gestures in relaxed social situations (like talking to my family). i think this is because in high school i took theater and when we did monologues, we were taught to keep our hands at our sides so as not to distract people from what we were saying. (though i often ended up playing with the hem of my shirt, instead... ) but when i took intro to public speaking (hated that class!!) in college, we were required to use hand gestures.. and i never did, because i didn't know what gestures to make.. i didn't want to just wave my arms randomly.. so i always got marked off.. for that and for not having good eye contact.. (course this was before i knew anything about AS..) and when i told my teacher, "i don't normally use hand gestures.." she immediately cut me off saying, "yes you do. everyone does." and made me feel stupid for saying anything, even though i knew she was wrong.

I am generally sorta unaware f what I do with my hands when I am talking. I do bounce my head alot when I am excited....because the person I am talking to will mimic me...but as far as hand gestures....I am somewhat oblivious.

It's often remarked upon that without my hands I'd be speechless. Think it comes from years of using sign language with my son, too.

I just can't talk without my hands. Too hard.

No.

I sometimes twirl them when I'm talking, and I pick my nails and such (it gives me something to focus on/stare at when I'm trying to put my thoughts to words).

These two are definitely not used as communication aids (i.e., non-verbal communication); gesturing with your hands during speech is "normal", well, that's what a lecturer in communication told me.

i "talk with my hands" all the time. i think i may do it as it helps me understand what people are saying if they do it to me when they are talking as i often struggle to understand what people are saying especially if there is a lot of other things going off at the same time. i am sometimes lazy though & try & communicate with people just by hands & not always proper BSL but i often get told off for this as no one understands me!

i just remembered..i tend to use sign language for some things.....instead of saying "hand me the lighter" I might point at the lighter and form my hand in the shape of holding a lighter and make the lighter sound...chik chik...I did this once years ago in front of my NT roommates at the time...and they thought this was UPROARIOUSLY funny and all started doing it all the time.....yeeks....

Alot of silly sign language passes between me and Flakey...I just can't think of any more examples....

oh yeah.....if he wants his keys, he might make the gesture of holding his keys...and I am supposed to know that means he wants his keys.

we will make the gesture of putting food in our mouths to signify we are hungry...or just make a smacking sound...

I do the pointing to things often when I cannot be bothered opening my mouth; I also:

Show shopping assistants my EFTPOS card to show I'm using it to pay
use my fingers for numbers
nod and shake my head to questions

I'm infamous for using my hands to mimic objects when I draw a blank on what they are actually called. I point and laugh, they point and laugh kind of thing. I realise it's silly. It's just like when I forget people's names and I have to describe them in some way. My coworker often gets referred to as the dark haired, brown nosed one.

The main reason I'll ever use social gestures is because I can't get into words what I'm trying to say. So I think it's more of a stim perhaps, I don't think I ever use them in the places I'm supposed to (though I'm not really sure where I'm supposed to and not supposed to use them anyway lol)

I didn't know whether or not I gestured while speaking...I just asked my mother and she said that I don't.