#59 Does Your Nonspeaker Think You Can Hear Their Thoughts?
From Awesome Autism Tools by Sheridan Ripley
May 5, 2026 · 10 min · Season 1 · Episode 59
About this episode
The episode discusses the misconceptions non-speaking children may have about communication and offers strategies for parents to better connect with them.
In this episode, I share a message I often pass along from non-speaking clients to their parents: some kids believe they’re communicating mind-to-mind to their parents, because they can hear their parents’ thoughts and assume it works both ways. This can lead to frustration when parents don’t “listen.” In Spirit to Spirit Sessions I explain that most parents can’t hear their child’s thoughts, they “hear” with their ears. It will help your child if you tell them directly, “I can’t hear what you’re thinking, I only know how to hear thoughts with my ears” and to name the ways you can understand—pointing, leading by the hand, spelling, or using a communication device. I also encourage parents and siblings to keep speaking out loud because the nonspeakers are listening with their ears (in addition some with their mind) and want to be included. Check out my episode on my private podcast, “Telepathy Missteps: Why Words Still Matter,” Want to learn more about Spirit to Spirit Sessions? Head over to AwesomeAutismTools.com/spirit where you can read testimonials, listen to part of a session and get a better feel for what these sessions are like. From there, you can sign up for a free call…
People in this episode
Host: Sheridan Ripley
Topics covered
- non-speaking communication
- mind-to-mind communication
- parenting strategies
- inclusion
- communication devices
Keywords
- nonspeaking
- communication
- parents
- thoughts
- inclusion
- Spirit to Spirit Sessions
- Awesome Autism Tools
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Awesome Autism Tools, Spirit to Spirit Sessions, AwesomeAutismTools.com
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