Can people with nonverbal autism be intelligent? Many nonverbal autistic people can communicate in different ways. You may have thought capabilities are only for those who speak, but I am here to show you an alternative. By using a letterboard, it can help nonverbal autistic people learn to communicate and show their intelligence.
First of all, there are many increasing cases of autism, so why not try something different? Autism Speaks states that, “Autism now affects 1 in 68 children.” Of that number, “about 25 percent of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder are nonverbal. Moreover, government autism statistics suggest that prevalence rates have increased 10 to 17 percent annually in recent years,” stated by Autism Speaks. Traditional interventions such as Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), Speech Therapy, and Occupational Therapy are a good start however they don’t fully understand how to unlock healing communication and help see the true individual and not the detriment, grave autism. There is another communication tool, developed by Soma Mukhopadhyay, called Rapid Prompting Method (RPM), using an ABC letterboard that is held by an Aide in front of the autistic person while he or she painstakingly points letter by letter to spell each gallant word. Then the Aide transcribes the person’s words to paper.
On the other hand, some ABA Specialists belittle RPM by tearing it to frays and stating that it is not the autistic person speaking since they miraculously are not holding the letterboard themselves. I can see how some might feel this way, however, it lends having an out of the box approach in seeing remarkable, daring, true, communication being unlocked with the letterboard. ABA Specialists only know what they have been educated in their ABA field in spite of many letterboard success stories. I am one of many to be generating reason for alternative tools of communication.
Now, there are some people who say the letterboard is hard and takes too much time. Can you place someone’s valiant intelligence on a timeline to prove their capabilities? I say no, and so many of my friends agree resting their lives on amazing families who don’t give up. The letterboard is not easy and does take a lot of time, but I am here to say that it changed my terrible muteness to healing language and has given many voices to the voiceless.
Importantly, vigorous, caring professionals have learned to use the letterboard and see true intelligence from very capable, nonverbal autistic people. I have been successful to use my letterboard with nine different people including professionals. My remarkable Speech Pathologist learned the letterboard when I was eight years old. My needed gallant Mommy works tirelessly to train my amazing therapists believing amended gaps will overcome my ability to really communicate. She really has made me rally to learn how to work with different kinds of people. Having talked to my Speech Pathologist, Katie Michner, she stated, “It only took about three months to learn the letterboard with you and have full conversations. She also made remarks stating, “It (the letterboard) has definitely changed my way of how I see people with autism. I think through me, as a Speech Pathologist, I have seen a lot of kids with autism and I think a lot of the time I have always known that you all are able to understand more and that you know way more than you are able to tell us with just words or signs, pictures or a communication device making some requests.” She continued to say, “This is the first time that I felt like I got a view into how much you really know and what you are thinking. It definitely opened my eyes to another possible way of communication. It (letterboard) showed me that there is a way to access all that knowledge.”
More importantly, there are many nonverbal autistic people that have succeeded with using the letterboard to communicate and show their intelligence. Believing in autism intelligence more than what shows outwardly has proven that many have successfully graduated with regular high school diplomas and now are in magnificent colleges throughout the country. For example, Matt, Mitch and Ido have all graduated from high school gallantly using their remarkable letterboards. Matt is currently in college and making marvelous grades showing that language is not a barrier to learning. I am very inspired by my gallant, meaningful, brave letterboard friends and I am proud to make the same meaningful accomplishments in seven years. My other dear letterboard friends, Hunter and Aidan, courageously have made tremendous inspiring, fearless, learning with their education making everyone see how intelligent and brave they are having great amazing salvation letterboarding their trapped words.
Most importantly, the letterboard gives many nonverbal people the ability to speak for the first time and has changed their lives. My family has never let educators tell them to not make education a priority when I was not able to show my intelligence before using the letterboard. The letterboard has changed my dire muteness to amazing teachings taking peaceful moments of affection to finally pointing on the letterboard to my Moms, “I love you to infinity.” Similarly, my amazing letterboard best friends have common insights. Aidan marvelously stated, “I have a voice now. I have a steamy intelligent mind and I can express myself now. I can’t describe what it means to me. A voice is so important. I did not have a meaningful life before the letterboard. I am participating in activities like church, parties, and homeschool lessons. I am going to learn to write. I have a future.” Now, stated tenderly and introspectively, Hunter said, “My first words were about me being a human experiencing dignity about autism. The letterboard has changed my life in that life always imitates art. That means my life has gotten better in so many healing ways. I owe my Mom not a big happy thank you but my life.”
In conclusion, there are growing cases of autism and we must all have an open mind in regards to communication methods and tools. I am one of many who has made amazing, valiant communication using a letterboard where traditional methods and tools have failed to unlock our voices. Many people communicate in different ways and those with nonverbal autism are no different. I hope that one day the letterboard will be relevant communication just like sign language.
Works Cited
What is Autism? 2015. Autism Speaks. Web. November 7, 2015. https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism
