Stutter

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I have a stutter, and I am wondering if anyone has advice or insight about this. It's not really bad, but present enough to be noticeable. I find that if I'm among family or close friends, it's fine. But, if I'm in a group, it affects me more - I'm not sure if it's the nervousness about it or that it does become slightly worse. Even if there is, say, one close friend in a group and the rest are people I don't know well or are acquaintences with, I still stammer. Also, in situations like this I become quiet and withdrawn - even though I'm normally not like that in private or with close friends or family. I do wonder if part of the social stuff has to do with being an Aspie too.

I stutter or have trouble finding the right words when I get stressed.

I have a stutter when I am stressed. To speak more clearly I have to 1. slow down my speech, 2. I might need to completely close my eyes and turn my head to the side, 3 take deep breaths in with my nose and out my mouth. This might look silly to people watching but it helps me get my words out. Theoretically decreasing the cause of my stress would help but identifying that cause can be hard, and decreasing the stress from it is harder.

I have the same issue with speaking. I think sometimes it's induced by fear of not being recognized or being left out of the conversation. Accepting our limited ability to take part in such social situations can help, just as thinking up possible questions and answers before engaging in one. I remember I had a problem asking a ticket on the bus or making a call on the phone, I was so anxious in my teens. There are words and expressions I struggle with sometimes even today, but I'm much better now at 39 than I was.

It seems that when you stutter, you are always selfconscious about talking, especially when strangers are present. The reactions of new people to how you talk makes you not want to talk! I found bunches of helpful information about both stuttering and autism from The Stuttering Foundation and am seeing a therapist on my lunch hour. I am slowly improving, but i have good days and bad days. Yep, stress and lack of sleep make it worse.