Well, before World Voice Day ends, I guess I should follow through on my impulse this morning to post something about it, spawned by a suggestion from the National Spasmodic Dysphonia Association. I guess I should start with I don't actually have a diagnosis for my vocal spasms and the related breathing, and sometimes swallowing issues, #Undiagnosed but SD was one of the working assumptions by several people in my life (medical professional and otherwise) for a long time. I've been questioning if we got it right recently, but am not sure I'll ever really know, given the lack of specialists arouhd here, and several other factors. Or, for that matter, how much good it would do me, other than just knowing, given the lack of research and knowledge that exists on some of the other possibilities.
#Dystonia #VocalCordDysfunction

Anyways, combined with some of the #CPTSD #Trauma #PTSD issues, and the #Autism and #AdultDiagnosis and #SensoryProcessingDisorder #SensoryIntegration issues, I've been dealing with voice issues, and difficulties with #speech and #SpeechDisorders all my life. It was only by giving up on speech as my main method of communication that I was able to learn that there was a purpose for speech, and that it sometimes did have its' uses. #CommunicationDisorders after many years of using AAC for any communication situation I wasn't comfortable in, I am slowly coming to see that not only is speech not the enemy, nor is communication as a whole, but that despite my #CentralAuditoryProcessingDisorder , sometimes I do also prefer to hear certain people's voices, and communicate with them in real time, and through this very difficult medium (for me) with them.

Having been allowed to take control of how I communicate in communicative situations has made a world of difference for me, and changed my whole perspective on socialization on general. Especially as diversity is becoming more accepted in society (mostly. Don't get me started on the backsliding I see happening during COVID!) so that there is less animosity and more patience exhibited by society when they see me using AAC.