The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome

by Anthony Attwood

The prosody and especially the vocal tone of speech can be unusual, with some children and adults with Asperger’s syndrome having a ‘flat’ vocal tone that is perceived as monotonous. The speech characteristics can include problems with volume, being too loud or too quiet for the context. Speech that is too loud can be extremely irritating for family members and especially difficult for teachers who are trying to encourage less noise in the classroom. The person’s speech may also be unusually high-pitched or have a ‘nasal’ quality that is quite distinct and distracting for the listener. The fluency or delivery of speech can sometimes be too rapid, particularly when the person is excited or talking about a special interest. In contrast, speech may be unusually ponderous when the person has to think what to say, especially if the reply requires understanding what someone is thinking or feeling during a social conversation.