Autistic youth need to be heard. Many have a difficult time speaking and are informally called “nonspeakers.” Too often, nonspeakers like me don’t get to share our thoughts even though we have lots to say. We aren’t broken or puzzles to unravel. We are, however, thoughtful and smart. We may not communicate like others do, but we have voices that deserve to be heard. I’d like to use my voice to share what being a nonspeaker means to me.
I’m a nonspeaker. I can say a few things, but not consistently and not always in the way that I intend. That’s part of the reason that I was diagnosed with autism. I hated that diagnosis until recently, because I felt the label suggested that I wasn’t smart. I have long struggled with the way autism is presented: a disease or problem to be solved. But I see autism as having...
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