FAQautism

My throat is beginning to heal and my ability to speak is finally emerging after 48 hours of virtual silence. As I am slowly becoming more able to communicate with the people around me, I am getting a brief glimpse into the world of my non-verbal friends with autism.

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1. SOMETIMES WE FORGET TO LISTEN. Sometimes non-verbal individuals with autism do not attempt to communicate because we inadvertently forget to listen. We certainly turn our attention to our friends when they make loud sounds or scream or throw something, but, as long as they are silent, we tend to get can get busy and distracted. In this case, one of two things might happen: (1) our non-verbal friends resign themselves to a life of non-communication and make few attempts to express their opinions or emotions or questions or choices, or (2) frustration builds over their lack of ability to communicate and explosive behavior eventually erupts.

2. SOMETIMES WE DO NOT NOTICE. It is easy to fall into routines at school and home – daily routines that can keep us from noticing a subtle change in a person’s attempts to communicate. This happened to me over the past few days – my husband was assuming I was not able to talk, so he just kept reading when I croaked out a question after dinner last night. He didn’t even realize I was talking until I tapped him on the shoulder.

3. SOMETIMES WE DON’T EXPECT CHANGE. It is certainly logical to assume that a 35-year-old non-verbal adult who does not appear to make any attempt to communicate will remain that way for some time. A long-time, non-verbal adult student shocked us all when he spoke two words into a microphone one day. The folks at his group home were playing “Name That Tune” with popular songs by Elvis. I hummed a few bars of one song, and this gentleman picked up the microphone and muttered, “Hound Dog.” Who knows – he may have been muttering single words and short phrases all along, but we just didn’t hear because no microphone was available. Or, maybe the microphone and a few bars of his favorite song motivated him to speak for the first time in his life.

And, speaking of talking, it is time for me to stop talking so my voice can continue on the path to recovery.

NOTE TO READERS AND LISTENERS: I am Cathy Knoll, a board certified music therapist and long-time friend of many folks with autism. At FAQautism.com we are committed to providing free, practical, everyday tips for making life better for people with autism. Feel free to send me a confidential email at talk@FAQautism.com with your thoughts or challenging situations or innovative solution. And don’t forget to check out our website for a wealth of ideas and a glimpse into the world of autism. http://FAQautism.com

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