Autism is a pretty broad spectrum and each autistic person is unique, with their own capabilities and limitations. There is no one-size-fits-all autism diagnosis or characteristics, so you may run into autistic people who are really bubbly and talkative, but you may also meet some who have limited or no vocabulary with more complex challenges.
Some people may believe that nonverbal autistic people either don’t communicate or don’t know how to communicate. One mom is challenging that perception with the videos she uploads to social media proving that using words isn’t the only way someone can get their point across. Shae runs the TikTok account shae_n_stece where she shows the interactions she has with her nonverbal son, Ste’ce.
Shae gives her followers an inside look at how communication works without words. While she does plenty of talking herself, it’s clear that Ste’ce’s facial expressions are an equally valuable part of the conversation.
In one video, Ste’ce is ready for bed and decides that his mom needs to close her door, too, so they can both get some rest. The only problem is, Shae isn’t ready for bed and a disagreement ensues. Clearly, Ste’ce is having some strong feelings over his mom’s refusal to abide by his desire and he let her know. The mom joked, “Idk how I know what he saying but I do,” in the caption of the video.
@shae_n_stece Idk how I know what he saying but i do š #shaenstece #autisticadult #adultsonsbetrippin #funny
In another equally amusing video, Ste’ce tells his mom the truth about how he feels about her working from home. It left Mom with some hurt feelings but he was very obviously unbothered. Sometimes the truth hurts but honesty is always best, right?
@shae_n_stece Dang my feelings hurtšš #shaenstece #autismacceptance #momandson
The entire account is full of videos showing Ste’ce’s sassy personality along with some pretty big wins, like when he ate green beans. Another video shows him sitting through a haircut, though he doesn’t like the sound of clippers and only tolerates it for the fresh results at the end.
Communication comes in all forms, and Ste’ce is proving that you don’t have to speak or use sign language to have an opinion.