This video is amazing. A friend shared this today and I’m glad she did because as a parent of a “nonverbal” i.e. nonspeaking, no wait preverbal (okay we all get the point that I’m still working out which term is best here!) kiddo, it means so much to see this explained from someone with a similar disability. And perhaps in this case disability is the wrong word as he is communicating perfectly, just using a different method much like a Deaf person would sign rather than speaking. Please visit his channel and check out his other videos. He seems like such a nice young man and very well spoken (gah – well articulated…no, spoken because he IS speaking, just using his AAC device as a tool to speak). <3
If you’re a parent of a child who has a speech difference or any disability or type of neurodivergence, make sure you check out the actually autistic groups and similar spaces where adults with your child’s diagnosis can educate you on what it’s like and how they wish their childhood was different. They are a literal treasure trove of information! Just remember, people don’t have to do the unpaid work of educating us so never expect it – just ask nicely and you’ll be surprised what you can learn.
Here are some of the many Facebook communities where you can talk to an actual autistic person or actual AAC user:
Actually Autistic Adults & Allies
* Please note that some of these groups have a rule that only AAC users or autistic people can respond for the first 24 hours after a post is written to make sure that allistic voices or non-aac users are not answering for people in those categories. Please respect the rules listed within each group and spend some time reading the posts and understanding the culture there before you start posting.
Take the time to watch and engage with these important resources as they could help you understand your child more before they are able to tell you these things themselves. Spend more time engaging with people who have the same diagnosis and less time talking to the other “autism moms” and you will be well on your way to supporting your kiddo, no matter where they may be on the nonverbal to semiverbal to verbal to never stops talking spectrum.
