So that accent-mimicking thing I do …

[flamingsword]

Autism Accent or ADHD Accent?

Autistic people are not the only neurodivergents prone to copying accents. Many people with ADHD also frequently mimic accents, sometimes referring to it as a wandering accent. These chameleon-like habits may be born out of an attempt to fit in better socially by mirroring who we’re interacting with.

Okay, was anyone going to tell me about the Autism Accent or was I just supposed to read that on Pinterest myself?

Comments

[conuly]

Well, copying accents is not what I've ever heard of as the definition of the autism accent. I've always heard of it as a term for what's probably developmental foreign accent syndrome +/- auditory processing disorder +/- speech impediments. It might sound odd (sorta - people inside NYC don't think I have a NYC accent, but people outside the city sure do) but it doesn't vary. (If it did, people outside the city wouldn't think I had a NYC accent, now would they?)

[tuzemi]

My whole life I have imitated accents around me unconsciously. In Boston after a few months I started slurring my R's, working in a cafeteria for a year I would sometimes roll my R's, and after a few years in Michigan I was sounding distinctly Canadian. It's handy now though because people say I don't sound Texan. 🤷‍♀️