Other
professionals in the autism community are coming to the same conclusion, and
research is shedding light on the hidden abilities within this population.
Professionals have generally agreed that about 50% of individuals with autism
will never speak. Catherine Lord, a University of Michigan pioneer in autism
research, is suggesting we may be way off the mark. In her 2004 study sample of
children diagnosed and treated at age two, only 14% remained nonverbal by age
nine, and 35-45% could speak fluently.
?
Our
current perceptions about nonverbal individuals with autism are also being
stretched by people on the spectrum, like Tito and others, who are coming forth
and writing about their rich Inner worlds, their abilities, and bit by bit,
deflating the notion that not being able to speak means having nothing to say.
Through the Increased use of augmentative and alternative communication aids
with nonverbal individuals, we are discovering that many children with autism
have taught themselves to read, some in more than one language; that these
individuals are highly aware of then surroundings and have self-learned far
more than parents and teachers imagine. It's their bodies that don't work, not
their minds.
?
And
these individuals have a lot to say. Amanda Baggs is one such woman, and her
nine-minute YouTube clip, "In My Language," is illummating to all who
watch it. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnylM1hI2jc).? As it opens we see her rocking back and
forth, flapping her hands in front of a large window. She goes through a series
of odd repetitive behaviors, all the while accompanied by an almost eerie hum.
Swatting at a necklace with her hand, slapping a sheet of paper against a
window, running her hand over a computer keyboard, flicking a metal band
against a door knob. Then the words "A Translation" appear on the
screen, and the twenty-seven-year-old nonverbal autistic mesmerizes us with a
highly articulate explanation of her thoughts and her actions. She explains how
touch, taste, and smell provide her with a "constant conversation"
with her environment. She challenges our neurotypical way of thinking about
nonverbal individuals in a manner that cannot be ignored. And I, for one,
applaud her and others who are speaking out about what it means, and doesn't
mean, to be nonverbal people with autism. It's about time.
?
In
our interactions with nonverbal individuals with autism, it is critical that we
accurately determine their level of ability and challenge, and not
automatically make assumptions based on their verbal language capabilities, nor
their IQ scores. It is true that many highly impaired individuals with autism
exist who also have accompanying mental retardation. But that percentage may be
far smaller than what we currently assume.
?
?
?
Slow
Processing of Information
?
For
most nonverbal and impaired individuals with ASD, the brain processes
information very slowly. They may have fewer input channels open to receive
information, or their connections may work like dial-up rather than high-speed
internet connections. They need much more time to switch gears between different
tasks. In autism and many other developmental disorders, attention-shifting is
slow, and nonverbal impaired individuals are often slower than individuals with
milder forms of autism. In her lectures, Lorna King, one of the early pioneers
in using sensory integration, warned all therapists attending her meetings
about a phenomenon called "clipping." Clipping can occur in both
verbal and nonverbal individuals. Attention-shifting can be so slow that the
person may miss half the information the teacher is trying to convey to them.
This is most likely to happen when the child's attention has to be shifted to a
new task. For example, if I said to a child playing with his toy "The
juice is on the table" the child may hear only "on the table."
To avoid this problem, the parent or teacher should first capture the child's
attention with a phrase like, "Tommy, I need to tell you something."
Then deliver the instruction or important information. If half of the first
phrase is "clipped" it does not matter, because now the input channel
is open and the statement about the juice can get through.
?
Temple
Grandin "The Way I See It: A Personal Look at Autism &
Asperger's" (2011)
?
