Monthly Archives: January 2015

One of the big complaints of skeptics who refuse to believe nonverbal people with autism can communicate is about support. They have significant doubts if anyone receives tactile support. In fact, if anyone receives tactile support they are sure the communication is fake. I think, to be fair, that sometimes it is hard to tell how much is the autistic person and how much is the aide, just by looking, but sometimes it is quite obvious that the support is just there for emotional support or anxiety control. It is minimal, a light touch far from the hand or arm and totally not prompting movement. My good friend likes a hand on his shoulder when he types. It gives him stability. If someone put a hand on your shoulder could you write accurately in a language you don’t understand but the other person could? I doubt it, but try and see if it’s possible.

But skeptics aren’t even satisfied with independent typing. I type with no tactile support, no prompts at all except for a reminder to keep going or to pay attention if I get distracted or pause too long. Still skeptics are concerned that someone sits a foot away from me and imagine that through some magical means I am typing their thoughts. If I was alone in the room, they say, then they could believe I was really typing my own thoughts.

I am somewhat fed up with this because they do not understand the nature of neurological instability and anxiety in autism. They have an innate bias in believing that autistic minds are not capable of understanding language. If that’s so, why bother to drill us with flashcards?

How many times have nonverbal people emerged from an inability to communicate, often due to a body movement problem, to show that they were hearing and understanding all along but were trapped and unable to show it?

My father, who is a scientist, talked about the unknown impact of emotional support on anxiety and performance and he shared the example of King George in the film, The King’s Speech. King George suffered from a terrible stutter. He was unable to speak in public without stuttering and stammering continuously and with great anxiety and humiliation. Forced to become king when his brother abdicated the throne, George had to overcome his speaking problems to deliver speeches to the British people as Britain entered World War II and to help keep up their morale throughout the war.

His speech therapist, Lionel Logue, was always with him when he spoke to provide emotional support. He never left the room. So, looking at the situation skeptically, should we say that the king lacked the ability to deliver speeches and was Lionel Logue’s puppet? If judged by the same standard as people with autism who type, perhaps we can determine that he was not capable.

Let’s keep an open mind.