actuallyclintbarton:

lowspark13:

I really want to start communicating through text more often, except it wouldn’t make me more comfortable since I can barely stand reading things I’ve written. It gives me the same feeling i get when I listen to my voice on a tape recorder.

Also I’ve never used AAC and I don’t think explaining why I “suddenly” can’t talk would work out very well. I’ve never gone completely non-verbal;I can always mange to force out the words.

I have been thinking about trying to get my wife and I into an ASL class so I don’t have to always talk but I don’t have to rely on text/having my phone or laptop on me.

Plus I can’t hear well anyway so it’d be plenty helpful for loud places or when her voice isn’t very loud.

(Though tbf I have not discussed this with her yet as it’s not currently a viable option due to money – she might not want to.)

I totally understand though – I’ve ALLOWED myself to go fully nonverbal like. Once. Because I was safe and with people who understood. I feel like I’m almost not allowed to use AAC since I can almost always force words out if I need to.

AAC is for everyone, but if you feel ASL is going to be more accessible for you, then, by all means, go for it. Learning another language is never a bad thing.

I often wish I learnt more Auslan. We had a Deaf class at my infants school, but the kid I bonded best with was Shannon, and his hearing with aids was good enough that he hardly used it and got mainstreamed with the rest of us kids by second grade. Now all I remember is how to fingerspell the alphabet.