I feel like, as a world, we assume that non-speaking autistics must want a cure for autism, but we don't ever bother to actually put the effort in to ask them for their opinion.

Whatever their answer is, whether they do or don't, we assume because we place spoken communication on a pedestal.

And we don't facilitate alternative methods of communication for them to actually tell us if our assumptions are right or wrong.

We just continue to assume.

Speaking autistics do this too. We do. All the time. And we shouldn't.

Non-speakers deserve to have a voice, even if that voice isn't a traditional 'voice'.

We should stand with non-speakers, and we should stand with them on their terms.

@ekverstania has done some incredible work in compiling the words of non-speakers, providing them the platform they should have rather than speaking for them - everyone should check out those words; hear them, respect them, act on them, stand with them. https://tania.co.za/sharing-the-words-of-non-speaking-autists/