Heads up: this post has a gif in it. Not flashing or too fast, but figured my photosensitive friends might want to be aware.
Unsurprisingly, social skills are not always my thing.
It’s not for lack of trying, of course. I’ve gotten a lot better compared to when I was younger. These days, it tends to come across more as social awkwardness than anything else.
For me personally, I learned most of my social skills from books, television shows, and my friends (especially my online friends growing up). I always had trouble making and keeping friends, and socializing is something that takes a lot of effort for me.
Recently, I’ve been keeping some communication cards in my wallet – especially for tasks such as ordering food, phone calls, and scheduling doctor appointments. I’ve been under a lot of stress lately for several different reasons, and speaking takes a lot more energy and work for me to do. Having the cards and scripting has been really beneficial for that.
I actually got the idea for the cards from one of my favorite shows – Doctor Who. In one of the episodes (Under the Lake), the Twelfth Doctor uses cue cards in order to properly apologize.
Mine are more task-oriented than apology/emotionally-oriented, but they still work really well. My brain thrives on scripts, sometimes without me realizing it. I’ll end up repeating the same phrase in similar situations, and my brain gets “stuck” a bit on using it. It can be annoying for others around me, but I don’t always notice it.
Luckily, for tasks such as ordering food or scheduling appointments, scripting isn’t generally noticed by other people. And for the purpose of my cards, that’s perfect for me.
If you want to try and make your own, here is the word document file:
You can edit the words/font as needed! I can change the border colors/pattern if anyone wants me to. You can cut them out and laminate them if you want; whatever works best for you!
Just Keep Stimming! 
This is a great idea! I developed scripts for most conversations in my 20’s and 30’s. I don’t need cards now, but I did write down what i wanted to say to start with. It works. I still have scripts but they almost feel natural now I have used them so much. best wishes!
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