#semiverbal

a comic about verbal words :3

i ignore everything and everyone if im doing something, even emergencies!

i get frustrated very easily and throw things!

one unmet expectation can send me into a shutdown. if even more happens (which is common) it turns into a meltdown!

i push people and yell when i have meltdowns! i hit myself! i run away!

i cant have my house keys at night because nobody would be awake to catch me if i elope!

i need someone to walk me over every single step for certain tasks!

i cant speak in full sentences like you see here and i take a long time to type them out!

in school i couldnt do any of my assignments because they werent related to my special interest! i needed them modified.

i cant wash dishes by hand but i cant stand dishes that arent squeaky clean (as in, literally squeaks)

im very sensitive to temperature, but can only tell that its upsetting me when im already super super angry!

i cant handle finances on my own!

i cant remember how long ago things were so i need everything to be written down and set on a clock! even eating!

i need someone to give me food so i dont get malnutritioned!

i cant tell directions and get easily disoriented, so even if i have a map i might get lost!

i elope without my walker which means i end up in a lot of pain after!

i cant tell time correctly so i end up super early or super late!

i need my mom to wash my hair for me!

Little nonverbal/semiverbal one, drawing on a little whiteboard.

Taking a while to tap buttons on a text to speech app, asking for juice or cuddles.

Watching cg or friends and just laying over laps and feeling content.

Rambling with markers on paper, babbling with spirals between sentences and cg reading over your shoulder and answering.

Pointing and making noises! Whining or meowing or going babababa or doing the throat raspy thing.

Making little secret gestures with friends or cg so you can communicate easily across rooms or in crowded places.

Stimming by repeatedly tapping the same symbol on text to speech app - meow meow meow meow

Borderline doing pantomimw when not understood immediately and your people slowly getting better and better at knowing what you mean.

People reading to you and you listen and tap things in the book .

Playing videogames with someone and them being okay with you using ingame chat or not talking or pausing the game so you can type or sign or write etc.

Quiet parallel play dates, maybe listening to cds together while doing stuff!

fully verbal autistic ✅️ valid

verbal autsitic with verbal loss ✅️ valid

semiverbal autistic ✅️ valid

AACPUNK

AACpunk is a movement that challenges ableism and promotes the acceptance and inclusion of all forms of communication. It stands for the inclusion of individuals who rely on Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), including nonverbal individuals, neurodivergent people, and those with various communication challenges, whether temporary or permanent. It works to break down barriers such as prohibitive costs, restrictive protocols, and social stigma, ensuring that all individuals have equal access to AAC tools.

Flag meaning

The top blue is representing communication in all its forms

The red is for breaking of barriers, stereotypes and ableism

The light tan-brown for neurodivergence

The gray for self-determination

And the cobalt for free access

Flags by @kpopwerewolf

Person with AAC symbol by @blackholemojis

ALT FLAG

ALT FLAG 2

Core Beliefs of AACpunk:

• Communication is a right, not a privilege. No one should be denied access to AAC tools of any kind.

• All communication is valid. Whether someone uses text-to-speech devices, symbol boards, writing, gestures, or any other form of AAC, their voice matters.

• Rejecting ableism in communication. Society often devalues nonverbal and AAC users, treating them as lesser. AACpunk stands against this by demanding equal treatment and respect.

• Breaking barriers to AAC access. Many AAC users struggle to get the tools they need due to cost, medical gatekeeping, or stigma. AACpunk fights for free and open access to communication tools.

• Neurodivergent and disability pride. AACpunk is inherently tied to neurodivergent and disabled liberation, embracing identity without the need for “fixing” or forced conformity to verbal speech norms.

AACpunk is inherently supportive of:

• All individuals with verbal communication challenges, no matter how they express themselves.

• No-tech, low-tech, and high-tech AAC users.

• Individuals who are neurodivergent, disabled, and who choose AAC as their primary means of communication.

• Self-determination in communication choices, without societal pressure to conform to verbal norms.

• Accessible education, workplaces, and social spaces for all individuals, regardless of communication style.

• The ability to communicate anything, even content deemed controversial or inappropriate, including through symbol-based AAC.

• Free access to AAC tools, ensuring that economic barriers do not prevent communication.

AACpunk is inherently against:

• Speech supremacy and verbalism, the belief that spoken language is superior.

• Medical and educational systems that gatekeep access to AAC, preventing people from receiving the tools they need.

• Forced speech therapies and practices that demand conformity to verbal communication norms.

• The infantilization of AAC users, treating them as less than or incapable of making their own choices.

• The exclusion of AAC users from conversations about accessibility, rights, and inclusion.