Why Can't She Talk? - Nonverbal Autism

I hope I did a good job of explaining what I know about nonverbal autism. I hate voiceovers lol. Abigail is fully capable of communication but apraxia of speech is the reason she has never spoken. That doesn't mean she will never speak however so we continue to work on it with her. Most of our focus is providing her with the tools she needs to communicate because communication is her key to the world. If you have any questions about comorbidities, nonverbal autism, or whatever let me know. We can chat about it in the comments. That's what we are here for.

Thanks for explaining apraxia alongside autism. People often assume a child who doesn't speak doesn't understand, and that usually isn't the case.

For families reading this who are just starting out: AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) doesn't stop speech from developing, and research generally finds it supports it. Options range from low-tech picture boards to AAC apps like Proloquo2Go on a tablet. A speech and language therapist can help pick a system that fits the child's motor skills. It also helps to model it yourself by tapping the symbols as you talk, so the child sees it used for real conversation, not only for requests.