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Is Anyone Completely Non-verbal?

Wife and I meet a new couple, socially, becoming friends, appears the male half is on the spectrum. Visiting they had a friend over helping them out fix car. Conversation came around to autism friend mentioned he had son who was non verbal, just recently late teens started talking. Looking around their is a lot of us, many undiagnosed.
 
Wife and I meet a new couple, socially, becoming friends, appears the male half is on the spectrum. Visiting they had a friend over helping them out fix car. Conversation came around to autism friend mentioned he had son who was non verbal, just recently late teens started talking. Looking around their is a lot of us, many undiagnosed.
That he used the term "non-verbal" doesn't mean that the son didn't speak at all. Many relatives, friends and carers - including professionals - use it to refer to anyone who doesn't speak full sentences.

The ASD3s that I referenced earlier usually could say 1) greetings, 2) names of people close to them, 3) favorite foods, games, movies, etc., and/or other basic, familiar words.
 
How can autistic people go undiagnosed if they're non-verbal, unless they're diagnosed with something else? But usually non-verbal autistics have more obvious autism behaviours.

Being shy and being non-verbal are two different things. I used to go really shy when I was younger if I was in an unfamiliar environment with people I didn't know well. But it wasn't like I'd forgotten how to talk or anything, I just suffered from that self-conscious shyness. I don't so much now though.
 
The father I spoke too said his son do not speak period, until a few years ago then suddenly started speaking. None Of the people we meet were diagnosed, no idea if the son I Did not meet was, heard him on phone looking for his dad.
 
My autistic friend says she didn't speak until she was 8. She was literally mute, never spoke a word. Never even had a meltdown. The only time she did cry was when she hurt herself (like if she fell over or something). Quite an interesting case there. Imagine having a silent autistic child that never has meltdowns.
 
I'm not sure if the word selectively mute actually exists in medical literature DSM style. Or perhaps it was something people just came up with on the internet. I have looked up its origin and won't refer myself to that word here. In my life historically there has been times I have just stopped speaking to anyone for about one month. I was upset in one hospital. I reached for an apple and they stopped me because of their rules and it really distressed me how I was treated and I just stopped talking to anyone. I would write things on paper if really pressed to, otherwise I would leave it and I liked it. I can often feel forced to speak when I don't want to. I really don't like things like speaking on the phone.
I think I probably do have language issues that affect me to some degree.
 
That sounds like the situation with my new found friends friend son. Einstein syndrome.
I don't think that the two are the same condition. A child with Einstein Syndrome is highly intelligent, but hasn't yet begun to speak. Someone with selective mutism can be of any age, may speak well in certain situations, but is quiet in others.
 
Selective mutism - F94.0
Thanks for that. So it is real then. You don't with the internet sometimes as you really can research something out. May be that is what I had then. I will look into it myself.
When I went so silent like that a pysch came to visit and saying I had autism so going said about non verbal about not being able to be missed, but I was in hospital as well though.
 
This guy told me his son spoke for first time at eight, Now just finished high school. over heard heard him speak to his dad on phone. Either way I spend lots of time not talking at meetings or parties, my way of masking.
 
Thanks for that. So it is real then. You don't with the internet sometimes as you really can research something out. May be that is what I had then. I will look into it myself.
It's real, but that doesn't mean that you'd get it as a diagnosis - especially since the symptoms can be seen as being a part of ASD.

I make tens of Internet searches on the average day. Usually, I quickly forget what was learned. People are impressed with my knowledge, but I am not an expert or close to it in any subject.
 
That must be hard. I can empathize, because I have a "lite" version of it that is much lesss severe than yours. With me, there is confusion and guilt piled on, because it's me not wanting to speak more than an inability to do so.
I would love to speak, as I feel guilty for not and in fact, the silence is too loud for me, which is why I end up trying to speak.

Diagnosis helps me to understand what is going on with me.
 
This question is asked simply out of curiosity. Did you ever meet or hear about an autistic who doesn't speak at all - not even a few words?
I think a co-worker had a non-verbal son. Such people don't generate much interest. I read a story about a boy who had never spoken at age 12. His older brother was going away to school, and treated him with a trip to the zoo, which he seemed to enjoy. That day, he locked eyes with a tiger, and immediately jumped onto the bars of the cage, shaking them and shouting "Freedom! Freedom!!"
 

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