A while ago, I wrote a blog article about my experiences of being semi-speaking. I have times where I can access speech and other times where I can’t or it’s extremely effortful.
I have found during autism assessments, that the experience of this is very frequent. Many of the individuals I work with report using texting rather than talking, effortful speech and avoiding people as the effort of speaking feels too overwhelming. This gave me a big kick to get started on a project of supporting semi-speakers. Myself and my friend Kim Mears, who is also a Speech & Language Therapist, have been working on a project, which is due to be published in the first half of 2026. So exciting!
So, I’ve discussed what my experiences of semi-speaking are previously. Now, it’s time to discuss how I support other semi-speakers. (It’s important to clarify here that semi-speaking is an identity, not a diagnosis. Many of the people I support who experience periods of mutism do not identify as semi-speaking. This information is still just as relevant.)
Supporting as a Speech & Language Therapist/Professional
Step one: Help a person explore their communication identity.
I don’t tell people they are semi-speaking, that is for them to decide. Instead, I ask questions about their experiences of communication to discover whether they experience periods of mutism. If they do, I provide information about semi-speaking and validate with my own and others’ lived experience.
Step two: Finding out what works
I then ask an individual about patterns in times they lose capacity for speech. For example, my periods of mutism mostly relate to sensory overload, emotional dysregulation and after long periods of speaking. Finally, I ask about whether they use any communication strategies other than speech during their periods of mutism.
Step three: Providing resources
Following a discussion, I will either email resources and/or add recommendations and resources to their wider assessment report. This enables a person to go away and process more information about semi-speaking in their own time. This gives them a more in-depth understanding than I can cover in a single session.
Supporting Yourself
As a semi-speaker, I have found two options to support my periods of mutism. These are the two recommendations I provide to individuals with similar experiences
Using Alternative & Augmentative Communication (AAC)
AAC includes any other form of communication alongside and in addition to speech, such as texting, text-to-speech apps, symbols-based resources, writing, signing etc. When we experience times where speech is effortful or inaccessible, we can transition to other forms of communication to lower the demand. Our access to different AAC types can depend on our environment, the person we are communicating with, level of fatigue and emotional regulation. For this reason, I always recommend having a Total Communication Approach, whereby you have a number of AAC options available at any time.
For more information on AAC, I recommend Assistiveware and Communication First.
Speech conservation.
Alike to Spoon Theory, I and many other semi-speakers have found it beneficial to preserve speech after and before a significant demand on speech. For example, the two days prior to a presentation, I will speak very little and use more AAC, and the two to three days afterwards. Lots of people who experience periods of mutism will tend to reduce their speech after a significant demand on their speech capacity unintentionally. For example, when they come home from work they may be quiet with their partner and answer questions briefly and directly until they have enough energy to speak again.
Communication/Lifestyle Adaptations
As a semi-speaking Speech & Language Therapist, I was unable to maintain the same demand on my speech capacity for a long period and have transitioned to less client-facing roles. I have always tried to have sessions/assessments at the start of the day so I can recover speech whilst doing admin afterwards. I have chosen hobbies, which don’t have a lot of communication demands, such as singular team sports.
I have also noticed a huge change in my speech capacity after discovering asynchronous communication. For me, calls don’t work and I much prefer voice noting friends so that I can listen and respond when I have the speech capacity to do so.
Other people don’t always “get it”
There’s so many times where people have made comments to me and my clients like “why aren’t you talking?” or “use your voice,” neither of which are helpful. Having this feedback can often make us force speech to make the other person happy/more comfortable. It’s important that our communication partners understand what is means to be semi-speaking. I would direct them to read more about it here.
Resources I recommend:
– People can sometimes find it easier to express themselves via written communication. Email exchanges rather than phone calls might be a more accessible option in the workplace.
– In school, a child may find it more helpful to have a communication system with their teacher to express needs, such as hand signals or communication cards. Lunchtime activities which don’t recall as much talking can be helpful, such as crafts or sports.
– Some people find trialling some different forms of AAC helpful. As a starting point, people can try free apps such as Text To Speech! and Clarocom (text-to-speech) and Weavechat (Symbol-based).
– As well as different forms of communication, people can find it beneficial to try speech conservation to manage their energy levels and reduce language demands. For example, it might be helpful for people to have a day where they speak minimally before a full day of socialising/presenting/networking etc.
– After a day of school or time socialising with friends, a child might need some time to themselves without the demand to talk or communicate with AAC. Questions about their day may be best left until they have recovered capacity to access speech again.
Of course, the resource myself and Kim will be putting out next year will go into a lot more detail about how we can support others and ourselves to navigate periods of mutism. Keep a look out!
