nonverbal      I have a son who is 6 yrs old who is still nonverbal he uses a communication board and is learning sign language. In my support group sometimes it makes feel sad. I see the progress in the other children who most are learning to speak and I feel jealous because Justin is not even close. He just makes a few sounds. I still pray that someday he will be able to tell me his thoughts. It would make life for him so much more enjoyable. Anyone out there with the same issue Thanks for your time Justin's mom Hi Tricia! I know its hard to see our kids not make the same progress as other kids... even others on the spectrum. We are happy for them of course, but it still hurts.  I wish I knew some words of wisdom to say here, but I dont. Just know we understand the sadness you feel for your child. There are others here with non verbal children (younger and older) who know the same sadness. Its a hard road to travel. Keep up the great job you are doing in teaching him and caring for him.... Hopefully he will have that breakthrough soon and it will make the waiting so worth while! Tricia, My heart goes out to you and I must answer with a heartfelt YES. What I really try to do, and I am able most of the time, is to just keep my eyes/my focus on my son. I am here on this forum board with parents of young children who already do things my son will never be able to do one one hundredth of... I am happy for the parents around me and for the oppurtunities that they have that we didn't... but I certainly have my times when I feel the distinct pangs of envy, oh yes.. and I'm definately 'old enough to know better' but it certainly still happens... but you know and as glad as I am for the friends I have here and their children.. when it gets to the point where I'm just hurting... then I have to set it all aside in my mind and look just at my son, and what has *he* done today, just him, setting all mental yardsticks and everything else aside for a moment, perhaps its my own version of 'zoneing out' and 'being autistic' that I just mentally make it so its just me and Stevie in my mind's eye for a bit and then with just us in there I can realize and know that *my son's* accomplishments are truly every bit as great for him as are anyone's, anyone's at all. *I know* how hard my son has to work for it and just how very hard he does, and then I raise my head up, come back in here and chime in just as proudly with the rest of them with my son's hard fought for accomplishments, because you know, even at forty years old by gosh he's making them alright. I know the heartache of pining and aching to know what could go on in his head, I know what it is to have him be sick and not know if its a simple bellyache or something endangering because he simply can't tell me, to have him angrily search my face and cry or rage and be unable to tell me why, both of us aching to get past the great divide that always seems to be... I take huge solace though in the very few moments that I can say I DO know what's going on.. my son looking out the car window and giggling at a streetsign, I can say for that one instance I do know *and with certainty* what he's thinking (he wants to get out there and rattle the tarnation out of it lol) and while that might seem like such a 'small' thing to anyone else.. well he's not 'anyone else' and I'm not either and it isn't small.. its GREAT! -- I hold fast and hard to every one of them too, Trish, every accomplishment he makes, every time I know, everytime we get somewhere, anywhere at all. That's what you have to do, Trish, and my advice to you is this: In your mind's eye when it gets to be too much, just get you and your son alone in your mind, shut the rest of them out for a moment (you're allowed!) so that its just you and he and you can once again see and take great joy in what IS there with him to rejoice in and see its greatness. Then come back, stand tall, and speak those accomplishments with that same joyfulness and pride that you've every right and are entitled to. Its taken my son forty years to make his first babling/wordish sound, Trish, and its happened very recently, and I've a feeling it won't be nearly so long for your child, but even if somehow it is or it never comes (as I had given up it ever happening for Stevie), With all of my heart I want you to please somehow know you do have friends in my son Stevie and I and that.. well, we do know how it is and you are not alone. Adding you and your son to my prayerslist as of this minute. With Love and Blessings, Theda hi and welcome,   my son is 19 and nonverbal. was difficult when he was younger especially when they would tell me they could teach him to speak. you keep hoping and hoping to hear it one day. was a let down when at age 11 they said it did not look like he was going to talk. but it also was easier after that because i  was not constantly hounding him to try and say it! he has learned a few other forms of communication and can get most of his needs met. it still makes me sad at times not to be able to hear his voice. something i have learned to live with is the  sadness.      Thankyou for your wisdom and prayers. In my mind I think I try to prepare myself that Justin may never speak, but I keep praying and hoping he will have a breakthrough. He has came along way in the past year. He has had other accomplishments he could not even sit at a table longer than 2 minutes without running. Sometimes, I feel helpless I can't make my son better.  I am thankful that Justin is very loving. He loves to give big hugs. He has very few behavior issues. I cannot help to dream what he would be like if he wasn't severly Autistic. He is such a gentle soul. Well, I had my cry for today and must go down stairs with a smile and check on Justin he loves to get into the fridgerator and make a mess!!! ha ha Thank you, Justin's mom
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