Thank you for this enlightening post. When I was growing up in Los Angeles in the 60’s I was frequently asked where I was from despite the fact, I was a local. It was apparent, though not to me, my accent and speech patterns were noticeably different from my peers or family; some suggested I was from the East coast or perhaps planet Vulcan. I can only assume that I was unconsciously mimicking speech from television that appealed to me but until now I had never really connected it to my Asperger’s. Though never formally diagnosed I had (and still carry) many of the classic symptoms of being on the spectrum which over time I learned to compensate for to function among the neurotypical, but I continue to experience the inner sensation of a stranger in a strange land.
Sep 22, 2023·edited Sep 22, 2023Liked by Edward Dutton
I am on the spectrum but my mother's mother actually spent more time with me than my mother as a toddler. If any accent is is a "mother" to mine, it would be hers. I am 70 and have always thought that I learned my accent, at least partially from TV. But there IS an accent common to lower class whites in my hometown. I recognized it in others before I could hear echoes of it in my own speech. Much like "a dog never smells his own" one's personal accent is a bit hard to notice. I have noticed my "wandering" accent over the years as I unconsciously mimic the people I have conversations with.
Sep 23, 2023·edited Sep 23, 2023Liked by Edward Dutton
I think autism is increasingly misdiagnosed to people who are simply above average cognitive capacity. Its not that they cant emphatise or something, they are just clueless on how insecure, angry, and upset most people are inside. I prepose a framework, in which the neurotypical social behaviour is just a way to cope and conceal brain deficits with various shortcuts for status.
'Overstimuliation" is another example. The less information threads one can process, the easier it is to block everything that is (supposedly) irrelevant at the time.
Regarding the topic on hand, if some kid at six years old is able to conprehend and consume appropriate news media, he will intentionally or not try to mimic RP, regardless of his peers feral language at school. Which in turn makes him sound weird
I notice that sometimes when i encounter the word stupid, i pronounce it like "shchupid" like the way certain brits do because it makes the word hit harder
Neuro-atypical and speak with a "smorgasbord" of accents that depend on bits of vocabulary. People always think I'm a foreigner in my own country. But I think it's normal and also more accurate for communication, which would be an autistic trait. The "smorgasbord" can be seen as a product of autistic systematizing.
Sep 22, 2023·edited Sep 22, 2023Liked by Edward Dutton
On a personal level, this really does resonate with me. I was English born and raised to an English father, and a Swedish mother. Of course, in the same way that the tippies would, I adopted the Swedish accent of my mother, but once I started school, my accent remained so, and I believe that intentionally or unintentionally, consciously or subconsciously, I did attempt to mimick the accent of my peers and that of the local area, but I was unable to do so for a sufficient amount of time and was nontheless fake. It never left, although my accent may also be something of a hotchpotch, which cannot be attributed to a specific area, it has often been considered neutral by many, but mocked slightly by peers, who described it as quite gruff, coarse, and deep. I can only draw the conclusion that it is either a mild to moderate Swedish accent, a neutral accent, or a hotchpotch of both Swedish and neutral English/local accent, thus making for something quite bizarre. It would make sense in the sense that I never exhibited enough traits for any doctor to be comfortable in offically diagnosing me as being a sperg or autist, rather I will always be in this grey area with traits, though insufficient, nevertheless, I am consoled.
It would also make sense in that I am the only offspring of older parents, my mother was 44 and my father was 52 when I was born, a combined mean age of 50. I am also a lefthanded sinistralist, which, if I remember correctly is a correlate of older paternity by poorer sperm quality and increasing depletion concomitant with aging, and an indication of an assymetrical brain, on average, though I am unsure how the latter might manifests itself in my case. Atheism is also a correlate, my father considers himself an athiest, and he also has the extraordinary talent of being ambidexterous. I went through an athiest phase between the ages of 16-21, before accepting belief again.
I am autistic and speak RP despite living in the West Country of England. I think I copied the voices of newsreaders more than local people growing up.
Interesting video. I'm not a native English speaker so when I speak that I tend to pick and choose whatever pronunciation and vocabulary I find most appealing at the moment. When I'm speaking in my native Spanish I do this though to a lesser extent. I picked up most of my speech patterns from my grandparents and I tend to use words that are somewhat dated. I dislike slang and neologisms in any language, and I avoid using them whenever I can.
My mother spoke poor english her entire life, despite or perhaps because of her social position. My father spoke with a Mid-Atlantic accent. After watching American TV, I adopted a Standard American accent to the chagrin of my peers and teachers.
Explains why I had my dad's English accent up to age 12, even though I was born in Scotland, lived in Northern Ireland from age 2, and my dad left home and went to Scotland when I was 4. To the extent anyone in my family took a maternal role, it was my dad. At 12 I was sent to boarding school and did take on an Ulster accent.
Sep 22, 2023·edited Sep 22, 2023Liked by Edward Dutton
Also, I've always called my parents by their first names, not mum and dad ,(which they forbade anyway).
I don't think I'm low in empathy, more that others' pain can be unbearable. I think that can look similar.
I think I'm probably poor in unconscious theory of mind but very good at consciously evaluating where others are coming from. Propaganda is very painful to me in a way I don't think it is to normal people.
According to random internet test I'm only mildly on the spectrum btw.
Suspected autistic and I engage in this behaviour. I can’t help it, it just comes out... I think I’ve been lucky that it hasn’t gotten me in trouble as sometimes it can seem as if I am taking the mick.
I can remember my accent as a kid being much broader than it is now. Growing up in rural Australia, my accent sounded much less refined than it does now as a result of moving for secondary school. Perhaps I unconsciously adapted the way I spoke to sound more like my friends at school.
I'm Australian and autistic and have developed a sort of hybrid with my mother's Czechoslovakian accent. I speak quite formally and most foreigners guess I'm British.
I’m not sure how many agree
But to me the best accent’s RP
It’s highly desired
Yet simply acquired
It’s charming & often carefree
https://www.youtube.com/@Resident_Poet
There was a young man from Brum
Whose accent sounded so glum
To elocution lessons he went
Much money was spent
Until his mouth sounded full of a plum
Not very good but I tried my best.
Thank you for this enlightening post. When I was growing up in Los Angeles in the 60’s I was frequently asked where I was from despite the fact, I was a local. It was apparent, though not to me, my accent and speech patterns were noticeably different from my peers or family; some suggested I was from the East coast or perhaps planet Vulcan. I can only assume that I was unconsciously mimicking speech from television that appealed to me but until now I had never really connected it to my Asperger’s. Though never formally diagnosed I had (and still carry) many of the classic symptoms of being on the spectrum which over time I learned to compensate for to function among the neurotypical, but I continue to experience the inner sensation of a stranger in a strange land.
I am on the spectrum but my mother's mother actually spent more time with me than my mother as a toddler. If any accent is is a "mother" to mine, it would be hers. I am 70 and have always thought that I learned my accent, at least partially from TV. But there IS an accent common to lower class whites in my hometown. I recognized it in others before I could hear echoes of it in my own speech. Much like "a dog never smells his own" one's personal accent is a bit hard to notice. I have noticed my "wandering" accent over the years as I unconsciously mimic the people I have conversations with.
I think autism is increasingly misdiagnosed to people who are simply above average cognitive capacity. Its not that they cant emphatise or something, they are just clueless on how insecure, angry, and upset most people are inside. I prepose a framework, in which the neurotypical social behaviour is just a way to cope and conceal brain deficits with various shortcuts for status.
'Overstimuliation" is another example. The less information threads one can process, the easier it is to block everything that is (supposedly) irrelevant at the time.
Regarding the topic on hand, if some kid at six years old is able to conprehend and consume appropriate news media, he will intentionally or not try to mimic RP, regardless of his peers feral language at school. Which in turn makes him sound weird
I notice that sometimes when i encounter the word stupid, i pronounce it like "shchupid" like the way certain brits do because it makes the word hit harder
Simon (cohen) is Borats brother
Actually (you knew that word was coming in this crowd) Simon Baron-Cohen is Sacha Noam Baron Cohen's (Borat) cousin.
Isn't "Borat" the new name of India?
Neuro-atypical and speak with a "smorgasbord" of accents that depend on bits of vocabulary. People always think I'm a foreigner in my own country. But I think it's normal and also more accurate for communication, which would be an autistic trait. The "smorgasbord" can be seen as a product of autistic systematizing.
On a personal level, this really does resonate with me. I was English born and raised to an English father, and a Swedish mother. Of course, in the same way that the tippies would, I adopted the Swedish accent of my mother, but once I started school, my accent remained so, and I believe that intentionally or unintentionally, consciously or subconsciously, I did attempt to mimick the accent of my peers and that of the local area, but I was unable to do so for a sufficient amount of time and was nontheless fake. It never left, although my accent may also be something of a hotchpotch, which cannot be attributed to a specific area, it has often been considered neutral by many, but mocked slightly by peers, who described it as quite gruff, coarse, and deep. I can only draw the conclusion that it is either a mild to moderate Swedish accent, a neutral accent, or a hotchpotch of both Swedish and neutral English/local accent, thus making for something quite bizarre. It would make sense in the sense that I never exhibited enough traits for any doctor to be comfortable in offically diagnosing me as being a sperg or autist, rather I will always be in this grey area with traits, though insufficient, nevertheless, I am consoled.
It would also make sense in that I am the only offspring of older parents, my mother was 44 and my father was 52 when I was born, a combined mean age of 50. I am also a lefthanded sinistralist, which, if I remember correctly is a correlate of older paternity by poorer sperm quality and increasing depletion concomitant with aging, and an indication of an assymetrical brain, on average, though I am unsure how the latter might manifests itself in my case. Atheism is also a correlate, my father considers himself an athiest, and he also has the extraordinary talent of being ambidexterous. I went through an athiest phase between the ages of 16-21, before accepting belief again.
I am autistic and speak RP despite living in the West Country of England. I think I copied the voices of newsreaders more than local people growing up.
Interesting video. I'm not a native English speaker so when I speak that I tend to pick and choose whatever pronunciation and vocabulary I find most appealing at the moment. When I'm speaking in my native Spanish I do this though to a lesser extent. I picked up most of my speech patterns from my grandparents and I tend to use words that are somewhat dated. I dislike slang and neologisms in any language, and I avoid using them whenever I can.
My mother spoke poor english her entire life, despite or perhaps because of her social position. My father spoke with a Mid-Atlantic accent. After watching American TV, I adopted a Standard American accent to the chagrin of my peers and teachers.
Explains why I had my dad's English accent up to age 12, even though I was born in Scotland, lived in Northern Ireland from age 2, and my dad left home and went to Scotland when I was 4. To the extent anyone in my family took a maternal role, it was my dad. At 12 I was sent to boarding school and did take on an Ulster accent.
Also, I've always called my parents by their first names, not mum and dad ,(which they forbade anyway).
I don't think I'm low in empathy, more that others' pain can be unbearable. I think that can look similar.
I think I'm probably poor in unconscious theory of mind but very good at consciously evaluating where others are coming from. Propaganda is very painful to me in a way I don't think it is to normal people.
According to random internet test I'm only mildly on the spectrum btw.
Suspected autistic and I engage in this behaviour. I can’t help it, it just comes out... I think I’ve been lucky that it hasn’t gotten me in trouble as sometimes it can seem as if I am taking the mick.
I can remember my accent as a kid being much broader than it is now. Growing up in rural Australia, my accent sounded much less refined than it does now as a result of moving for secondary school. Perhaps I unconsciously adapted the way I spoke to sound more like my friends at school.
Hi Ed, can you please get rid of the black backdrop. Its upsetting me. Thank you.
I'm Australian and autistic and have developed a sort of hybrid with my mother's Czechoslovakian accent. I speak quite formally and most foreigners guess I'm British.