Dad Filmed His Lively Conversation With Nonverbal Son With Autism
This dad’s conversation caught on video is proof that there is more than one way to communicate.
Shawn Garan, from Stamford, Connecticut, is in the process of becoming ordained through the United Church of Christ, according to his blog. He is also the father of two twin 4-year-olds, Molly and Max. Max has autism and is nonverbal.
Recently, Garan was running an errand with Max in the car and the two of them had a prolonged back and forth exchange, which Garan recorded and posted to YouTube.
Max often responds by yelling or making sounds, and Garan says this was a rare moment where Max stayed engaged long enough for them to have a quality back and forth.
“I just hope that people will see that autistic people have a voice,” Garan told The Mighty in an email. “They can understand what were saying, it’s just that some might have a hard time responding back.”
See their conversation in the video below:
h/t Autism Speaks
Melissa McGlensey is the former News Editor at The Mighty. Her writing can also be seen in Ms. Magazine, on the Ms.Magazine blog and in The Huffington Post’s Good News, Comedy and Impact sections. Melissa is also a New York City comedian who does sketch, improv and stand up. She is passionate about social justice, politics, Thai food, literature, disability rights and more. She is currently in a long-distance relationship with her cat, Sneakers, who lives in California. You can follow her on twitter at @OhHeyMeliss.
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