The Telepathy Tapes: why so many autism parents can’t stop listening
The Telepathy Tapes made non-speaking autistic kids the centre of a chart-topping podcast. Why parents like me connect with it, and what critics say.
A Day Without Words: one night of silence to make the world listen
A Day Without Words is an overnight event I want to run: sunset to sunrise with no speaking, spelling or texting. Here's the idea, the dream venues and how to help.
The scientist behind The Telepathy Tapes: Jesse Michels meets Ky Dickens and Dr Diane Hennacy Powell
Jesse Michels' American Alchemy sat down with Ky Dickens and psychiatrist Dr Diane Hennacy Powell. Who she is, what she found, and why it divides people.
My son doesn’t speak. So I’m telling his story.
Eden is 13, autistic and non-speaking. He can't tell his story, so I'm telling it for him. Start here: who we are and why What About Autism exists.
Getting down to the beach with Eden
Counting down to beach days with my autistic son Eden. He loves the water, which is why water safety comes first. What every parent should know.
Why I appreciate the little moments
Saturday mornings with my autistic son Eden: why he reaches for my stubble, loves a tight squeeze, and why I give him space when he's stimming.
My son can’t speak. So I wrote him a song.
Hidden Histories is a song I wrote for my non-speaking autistic son Eden, set to footage of our ordinary life. It's now the theme of What About Autism.
I know I can’t look after my son forever
A normal night in our house: brushing my 13-year-old's teeth when he has sensory processing differences. Patience, hugs, and a question every carer asks.
Six years without sleep: life with my non-speaking autistic son
From about three until nine, my autistic son Eden woke at 1am and didn't go back to sleep. Six years of it, while running two businesses.
He can’t speak, but he just asked us to take him for a drive
Eden is 13, autistic and non-speaking. For the first time in his life he asked us to take him for a drive, by moving our hands to the doors.
Our first sign of autism was flicking cups
At ten months old my son Eden started flicking cups, over and over. Looking back, it was our first sign of autism. He was diagnosed at two and a half.
Life with my non-speaking son, from fifteen months to high school
Photos of my son Eden, autistic and non-speaking, from fifteen months to his first day of high school, and a call for families to share their story.
He can’t say I love you, but this says it all
My son Eden is non-verbal. Walking home from the park he held my hand and squeezed it when I talked to him. Sometimes love doesn't need words.
The builders who dropped tools so my autistic son could catch the bus
Noise stopped my autistic son getting on his school bus. I asked the builders to stop for five minutes. They did it every morning for four months.
The first time my non-speaking son greeted me home
Eden is 13, autistic and non-speaking. The day he greeted me home from school for the first time, after eleven years of waiting. A dad's story.