10. Don’t assume things about non-speaking people.

Lots of people have wrong ideas about people who are non-speaking. People think that if someone is non-speaking, they have an intellectual disability, don’t have anything to say, or don’t care about other people.

All of these ideas are wrong. Non-speaking people don’t talk, and that’s the only thing different about them. Just because someone can’t talk doesn’t mean they have nothing to say. It doesn’t mean they don’t care about people, or that they have an intellectual disability.

You should help non-speaking people communicate in ways that work for them. If someone is non-speaking, try to understand them and get to know them. Don’t assume things because you don’t understand.