Aspies & Public Speaking

Post Reply New Topic

I have trouble with public-speaking because I can never seem to get in the right frame of mind. I have trouble not reading directly from the paper and maintaining eye-contact, and when I think about these things, I completely blank out. I just stand there with this empty look on my face like "...duuuuhhh..." or with one of those deer in the headlights looks. Then, when I do end up starting, I sway back and forth or grip the podium or some other thing. Then my teachers yell at me for that. And when I trip over a word, I always think, "Aww man! You idiot!", so I'm so busy berating myself I can't read the rest. I'm surprised I've never yelled at myself aloud during a speech.

I have no shame when relaxed.

I find the same. It’s not something that I go out of my way to do, but I’ve given presentations to large audiences and to senior management at work, and I’ve never been especially nervous. My only concern was that some of the visual aids would not function. I become especially confident when I am knowledgeable about the subject that I’m presenting.
My thinking is that when I’m speaking to a large audience, I’m controlling the dynamics of the interaction; the conversation is effectively one-way, with me delivering information and answering questions. I’ve thought through the presentation beforehand, and anticipated much of what is likely to happen. I can also gauge the mood of an audience reasonably well, tell how my presentation is going and adjust my presentation accordingly.
I’m useless at one-to-one social interactions because I don’t feel in control of the situation; I’ve got to maintain conversation without having rehearsed the situation beforehand. My mind is too slow to come up with the immediate, sparkling responses that keep conversations going.

I've managed to get better through lots of practice at maintaining small talk conversations. People tend to like me well enough, but I rarely find the oppurtunity to take part in activites others do. For example, others might go to church, without a liscense or my parents, I have no way of going. My social interactions are stuck inside of school.

I do excellent at public speaking, it seems to be natural to me. I actually enjoy getting up in front of a crowd and giving a speech. Of course I also like talking.

But yes, the fear doesn't seem to apply to me.

I hate it all those eyes I cant look at them an freeze or stammer if I have to talk to more than 5 people I have to stare at the floor the whoe time.

I have read the Bible in church a few times (i.e. been up at the front reading to 150-200 people). I never came across anyone in my church who didn't think I was the best, clearest reader in the whole place.

That's a skill that's obviously improved from my time at university, where once I had to give a presentation, and froze for a whole minute halfway through.

Oh, my goodness!

This is a topic I can definitely relate to!

I am very good at public speaking. Public speaking started out as an elective for students in 12th grade in my school. The original teacher of that class left, and when the new teacher came along, he incorporated public speaking into the basic English class. I'm sure you've heard a lot about him.

Once, I was required to do an informative speech for his class. My speech was on Dick Clark and the future of New Year's Rockin' Eve. I read that speech with no problem, but I acted very nervous and not too confident after reading it. He said I did well, and he could tell that they were my own words.

However, that one Aspie trait called fluctuation of pitch and tone of voice makes me very nervous. I speak softly when I am not supposed to, and I also raise my voice when it is not appropriate. Do I have the capability to distinguish how to do this at the right time? No. I hope you all have come to the realization that this is a rather common trait of someone with AS.