We Shall Overcome: Why I Am Certain Nonspeakers Will Win Our Rights to Communicate

• By: Elizabeth Bonker Communication 4 ALL
• July 9th, 2026
• augmentative communication, autism communication rights, Communication 4 ALL, communication bill of rights, disability rights, IACC, letterboard access, nonspeaking autism, Summer 2026 Issue
• 7    0

I was born perfectly healthy and passed all my developmental milestones, including saying words like "ball" and "dog." Then suddenly, at 15 months, I lost all my spoken words and started to bang my head on the floor. My parents brought me to Yale Medical School, and their only recommendation was to...