25/07/2023- 'Speak up' Part 2

There are some simple things people can do to make it easier for me to answer questions so that I can have an effective conversation with everyone.

People can ask questions slowly in slow motion . It might sound funny to you but for me it is easier to understand the words. When a person speaks in slow motion my brain can understand the meaning and remember the question. It's funny for me too but yet it is easier.

People should make the question short with less difficult words. I forget long questions and then I can't answer. If there are too many difficult words then I don't understand the meaning.

Sometimes people ask questions very loudly or angrily and this makes me anxious. I feel a funny feeling in my stomach and I get scared and my ears turn red. My brain feels like it's not working. Then I make many mistakes and get very confused. Even if you are angry please ask softly.

Please be patient and wait for me to answer because it takes me long to find the words. When people don't wait for my answer I feel angry and frustrated because I know the answer.

If it's a difficult question please repeat it slowly and clearly and wait for me to answer. You can give me a sentence starter so that my brain thinks faster. You can also give me a choice so it becomes easier to answer. I will definitely try to answer as fast as I can.

Remember I'm like the tortoise - slow and steady wins the race!

Mum speaks

After the last blog Reh and I were discussing how others could help him to answer faster and more accurately which seems to be challenging very often. When he said talk slowly I mentioned 'slow motion' a concept he was unfamiliar with. So I showed him some clips on youtube he couldn't contain his giggles and he found it really strange when I spoke to him in exaggerated slow motion but it really helped him he admitted. This got me thinking about how slowly his brain processes words and language. Now imagine how stressful it would be for him to live in a world where everyone spoke in fast forward mode coupled with all the other difficulties he has. The least we can do is use some of the strategies he has suggested to make it easier for him to answer.