There’s a powerful, necessary celebration that happens when a non-speaking autistic person begins to communicate — especially through methods like Spelling to Communicate (S2C).
And rightfully so.
We should celebrate the breakthrough. The courage. The brilliance. The connection.
But if we stop there — if we act like communication is the finish line — we’re missing something huge.
We’re missing the trauma.
The Trauma That Came Before
This is the trauma of years — sometimes decades — of being trapped inside your own mind.
Of hearing yourself described as “low-functioning,” “not a thinker,” or “too impaired to learn.”
Of being spoken over, around, or about — in front of you — because no one thinks you understand.
Of being placed in classrooms where your needs weren’t met, your voice wasn’t believed, and your body was misunderstood.
Of enduring therapies, interventions, and behavioral programs that punished your neurology instead of supporting your autonomy.
This trauma is real. And it doesn’t disappear the moment someone spells their first sentence.
We see it show up in so many ways:
- Emotional shutdowns after spelling sessions
- Panic when a letterboard goes missing
- Hypervigilance around noise, change, or separation
- Sleep disruption and somatic pain
- Sudden impulsive behaviors — sometimes even hitting the very people they love
Imagine the pressure of carrying years of unspoken thoughts, emotions, and frustrations — and suddenly, the dam breaks. The body doesn’t always know how to release it gently. Sometimes it explodes. Not with intention, but with overwhelm. Not with malice, but with too much.
This is not failure.
This is not regression.
This is processing.
The Role of Therapy
Processing requires care.
It’s why trauma-informed therapy is essential. There are a growing number of therapists who understand neurodivergent minds — and some who are beginning to work directly with non-speakers. The goal isn’t to “fix” them. It’s to help them carry the weight. To make sense of the pain. To find safer ways to feel what has long been trapped inside.
Parent Trauma Is Real Too
We also need to talk about parent trauma.
Because as joyful and euphoric as this communication breakthrough can be — it also opens the floodgates.
We suddenly realize how much our children endured. What they heard. What they felt.
We look back on the years of misdiagnosis, missed opportunities, and institutional harm — and we carry that grief in our own bodies, too.
Many of us go through a “forming/storming/norming” process.
We celebrate. Then we fall apart. Then we begin to rebuild.
And the guilt? It lingers. Even when our children forgive us.
Even when they say, “You did your best.”
Even when they love us unconditionally.
Social Trauma and “Communicative Invisibility”
Beyond medical or physical trauma, many non-speakers describe a form of social trauma — the cumulative pain of being excluded, underestimated, or ignored simply because they don’t speak.
This isn’t yet a formal clinical term, but in our work we’ve used the phrase “communicative invisibility” to describe it: the trauma of being present, but unseen.
It doesn’t resolve the moment someone learns to spell. In fact, sometimes it becomes more visible as communication grows — because the person can finally name what happened.
I’m Not a Doctor, But…
I don’t think it’s far-fetched to suggest that many of the challenges we see in autistic individuals may be tied to trauma.
Take seizures, for example.
There’s a type called psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) — seizure-like episodes that look like epilepsy but are not caused by electrical discharges in the brain. Instead, they often stem from psychological distress, emotional overwhelm, or chronic trauma. These fall under the broader category of Functional Neurological Disorder (FND).
In some studies, clinicians have observed PNES in children with undiagnosed autism, highlighting the need to recognize trauma and neurodivergence together. Other research shows that childhood abuse or prolonged emotional suppression can significantly increase vulnerability to these symptoms.
We already know that the brain and body are more interconnected than we once believed. Entire branches of medicine are evolving around that understanding. So maybe it’s time to ask:
Could some of the other challenges we see — like GI issues, immune dysfunction, or intense behavior swings — be shaped not just by autism, but by trauma, too?
We’re not saying trauma is the only cause. But it might be one of the most overlooked.
This Isn’t About Losing Joy
This isn’t about being a downer. It’s about being honest.
We don’t lose the joy by acknowledging the pain.
We don’t undermine the miracle of communication by naming the wounds that came before it.
In fact, we make healing more possible when we do.
So let’s tell the whole truth.
Let’s celebrate the light.
Let’s honor the darkness.
And let’s walk forward with both.
Because to truly heal — to truly reach our potential — we have to acknowledge what happened in the past.
That’s the only way the path forward can be as clear as possible.
🧠 Companion Guide: Trauma and the Autistic Brain
Supporting Research for “Let’s Talk About Trauma—and What Non-Speakers Carry”
1. Autism and Trauma Are Interconnected
Autistic individuals—especially those who are non-speaking—are at significantly higher risk for traumatic experiences across their lifespan. These include:
- Bullying, exclusion, and institutional mistreatment
- Sensory overload and physical restraint
- Being misunderstood or denied access to communication
Research confirms the link:
- Berg et al. (2016): Autistic children experience significantly more Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) than non-autistic peers.
- Griffiths et al. (2019) and Rumball (2019): Autistic adults report higher rates of PTSD, job loss trauma, and chronic social adversity.
2. Trauma Leaves an Imprint on the Brain
Decades of research have shown that trauma impacts brain development—especially in areas involved in emotional regulation, memory, and social processing.
- Teicher et al. (2016): Childhood maltreatment affects brain regions including the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, corpus callosum, and amygdala.
- These same regions are often implicated in autism, suggesting potential overlap between trauma effects and autistic neurology.
3. Social Trauma and “Communicative Invisibility”
Beyond medical trauma, many non-speakers experience what can be described as social trauma: the cumulative pain of being excluded, underestimated, or ignored simply because they don’t speak.
This is not yet a formal clinical term, but it reflects a real and common experience—one that contributes to emotional dysregulation, mistrust, and isolation.
4. Functional Symptoms May Be Trauma-Linked
Some physical or behavioral symptoms observed in autistic individuals may be connected to prolonged emotional overwhelm or trauma:
- PNES (Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures): Seizure-like episodes not caused by brainwave activity, but by unresolved psychological stress.
- Other conditions—such as GI issues, chronic fatigue, or immune dysregulation—may also reflect the body’s response to trauma, particularly in those without robust emotional expression outlets.
5. Therapy Helps—When It’s Adapted for Autism
Standard trauma therapies are being adapted to better support autistic individuals:
- Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT): Adjusted for sensory and cognitive needs, this approach helps reprocess trauma through structured, supportive dialogue.
- EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing): Shows early promise for autistic adults with complex trauma histories.
Studies show that when therapies are trauma-informed and autism-informed, outcomes improve—emotionally, cognitively, and relationally.
📚 References
- Attwood, T. & Garnett, M. (2024). Autism and Trauma. attwoodandgarnettevents.com
- Teicher, M. H., et al. (2016). The Effects of Childhood Maltreatment on Brain Structure. Nature Reviews Neuroscience.
- Peterson, J. L., et al. (2019). Review of Trauma Treatments in Autistic Individuals. Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma.
- Lobregt-van Buuren, E., et al. (2018). EMDR for Autistic Adults with Trauma. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.
- Berg, K. L., et al. (2016). Disparities in Adversity Among Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Dev Med Child Neurol.
- Griffiths, S., et al. (2019). The Vulnerability Experiences Quotient (VEQ). Autism Research.
- Rumball, F. (2019). A Systematic Review of PTSD in Autistic Individuals. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.
Closing Note
Understanding the deep, often invisible links between autism and trauma is essential—not to pathologize, but to support healing. Every breakthrough in communication should be met with celebration—and with care for what came before.