Patrick dreams of being world’s first non-speaking, autistic hiking guide
My name is Patrick. I am 15 years old. I love to bush walk, swim and spell.
Sometimes, asking questions is fun.
I use a letter board to communicate because I am non-speaking. Non-speaking means I can’t talk. I am autistic and have apraxia and Developmental Coordination Disorder.
I spell words by pointing to a letter board, held by a communication and regulation partner.
Patrick, right, with his dad on a hike. (Supplied: Fiona Churchman)
They hold the letter board because I have motor planning differences and struggle to regulate my body and use purposeful motor movements.
My body has a mind of its own, and I am not always in control of my arms. I sometimes point to the wrong letter because my arms don’t work together with my brain.
They call this proprioception, where a person doesn’t understand where their body is in time and space.
I need a communication and regulation partner to help me by training my arm and finger and ocular eye movements.
I appreciate them, because everyone thinks spelling is easy, but it involves a complex approach that requires age-based curriculum and a series of activities to teach my motor planning.
I spell non-speaking and not non-verbal, because non-verbal means without words, and I am not without words.
I have plenty to spell, and I am intelligent. I use the word spell instead of write because I can’t hold a pencil and write to communicate.
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‘It doesn’t define me’
Terminology is important to me because I am autistic and don’t have autism.
It’s my identity, but it doesn’t define me. When people use the correct terminology, I feel awesome and valued.
The medical model of disability sees people as broken and need fixing.
I prefer the social model of disability because people don’t need fixing, they need to be accommodated and included.
Mr Saunders, Patrick and SA Premier Peter Malinauskas. (Supplied: Fiona Churchman)
Everyone is different and needs to be involved. In decisions in their own life.
Society needs to cater for our needs and adjust what they do and accommodate our individual needs, wants and dreams.
When I went to school, I was treated poorly.
Teachers treated me like a baby and like I don’t understand anything. They asked me if I was intellectually challenged and if I could do anything.
I want autistic, non-speakers to have opportunities. We have human rights like neurotypical people and deserve to be treated fairly.
You can change the world by presuming competence and believing in someone and providing them with opportunities.
Patrick uses the letterboard on holiday. (Supplied: Fiona Churchman)
I wish people saw me as a person who was intelligent and able to achieve anything.
I am going to change my life, but you could change many by asking us to be your friend.
My dream is to become famous and to ask autism organisations to include autistic non-speakers in decision-making about policies and procedures in their organisation.
I plan on going to university to study disability advocacy and also becoming the world’s first autistic non-speaking hiking guide.
You can change the world once you give people who are non-speaking an opportunity to be included.
Patrick encourages people to presume competence in others and provide them with opportunities. (Supplied: Fiona Churchman)
Patrick shared his experience with BTN High for World Autism Awareness Day on April 2, which promotes understanding of people on the autism spectrum.
He recently took part in Teen Parliament, in which South Australian high school students shared a big idea they have for the state’s future.
