by Jonathan Slack
People who read this blog know my sister Jennifer is on the autism spectrum. She can barely say a hundred words spontaneously, but she can type to communicate with the rest of the world. Jennifer is not alone, though. It is estimated that about 25% of the autism population is nonverbal, meaning they cannot functionally communicate with the rest of the world using their voice. This number is astounding. Even with my experience with Jennifer I thought the percentage would be much smaller. I see firsthand how frustrated Jennifer gets when she cannot adequately communicate what she wants or how she feels. While typing is an option that Jennifer employs, from time to time she wants to be like everyone else and having to type out her thoughts reinforces the fact that she is not.
High functioning autistic individuals tend to be portrayed and covered by the media. Today, Autism Home Support Services wants to hear about the other side of the spectrum. How does your nonverbal loved one communicate with you? Let us know by leaving a comment on our Facebook page!
