The period from ages 1 to 4 can be a sensitive time for parents of children with autism.
Although most children are starting to talk at this stage, parents of nonverbal autistic children may start to recognize that their child may remain nonverbal for some time, or even permanently.
However, there is hope for nonverbal individuals to lead fulfilling lives, and some children can develop verbal skills. This proud mother can attest to that!
During a visit to the drive-thru at her local McDonald’s, Brianna Blankenship was taken aback by something she heard unexpectedly. As she was placing her order, her daughter Taylor uttered the word “Mama!” despite being nonverbal until that moment.
“I am ugly crying in the McDonald’s parking lot and the employees probably think I’m crazy. In the drive thru I suddenly heard Taylor say ‘MAMA.’ For those of you that don’t know, Taylor is five and is non-verbal autistic. She has NEVER said a word. EVER.”
The adorable young girl grinned widely as her mother celebrated her significant accomplishment. Brianna was pleasantly surprised when Taylor repeated the word multiple times, bursting into laughter with each repetition.
“I’m pretty sure I held up the drive thru line,” she said, “but there was no way I wasn’t getting proof of this. I can’t explain how unbelievably grateful and ecstatic I am right now.”
The online reaction to Brianna and Taylor’s story has been tremendous.
“We are thrilled that this video has resonated with so many of you,” she writes in the post. “We have had messages from parents with non-verbal children telling us that Taylor’s video has given them hope and we have had people with neurologically typical kids tell us that this video has reminded them that they may be taking things for granted with their kids and that they will start celebrating the smaller stuff more often.”
It’s hard to imagine a more gratifying experience than that.
Observe Taylor’s accomplishment of this significant milestone in the video below and share it as a reminder to your loved ones that every triumph is worth rejoicing!