Contributed by Ryan Wilson
My name is Ryan Wilson and I’ve had autism pretty much my entire life. It affects me in ways that the normal person probably wouldn’t understand. I have a harder time focusing and get distracted pretty easily. I also struggle with communicating with other people. In particular, I may not know what to say right off the top of my head, I may get distracted before finishing a sentence, or may not want to speak at all.
With all these troubles I face with autism, you may find it understandable why I chose to be a member of a group that actively works on improving one’s speaking skills. Working with Palmer Toastmasters has helped me to not only improve my speaking skills in public but to be more comfortable around other people.
When I first started going to Toastmasters meetings with my family, it was just a thing I did to give me something to do, since I hardly get out of the house. I didn’t really care much about the speeches or anything at the time. It was just something I did to pass the time.
Being autistic, I’m usually more interested in things than people. I don’t really talk to other people due to shyness and a lack of willingness to. However, that doesn’t mean I don’t try to have a conversation with someone else. When I’m in the mood, I can spend a decent amount of time holding conversation and talking about things that interest me.
I gained the motivation to join Toastmasters after seeing two family relatives of mine become members themselves. I wasn’t completely sure how to feel when I actually got my membership, nor was I certain I’d be willing to put in the work I’d need to progress through my pathways.
Being a part of this club has allowed me to challenge myself in ways I didn’t normally think about. It’s forced me out of my usual comfort zone and made me work diligently when writing speeches. I would encourage anyone who has any sort of communication problem to consider joining Toastmasters. It worked for me and it just may work for you.
In Toastmasters, we learn how to challenge ourselves by practicing speaking in a non threatening environment. Discover more about Palmer Toastmasters at our website: palmer.toastmastersclubs.org. Join one of our meetings in person on the 1st and/or 2nd Tuesday of each month in the conference room at Turkey red (550 S. Alaska Street in Palmer) at 6 PM or online via Zoom every Tuesday night at 6 PM. We start on time.
For the Zoom link, visit the meeting directions tab at our club website: https://palmer.toastmastersclubs.org/.
We are a friendly group of positive valley people who meet to help each other grow and have fun together in the process. We invite you to get to know us better by joining one or more meetings as a guest.
