The Mind Has No Limit

Nobody can tell you what you can and cannot do. Those who are challenged by disabilities or disorders can do just as much as those who are able. Many people pity the disabled or assume that they are incapable of making progress. The people who feel this way are only taking away the services the disabled need in order to learn what ways they can go about using their skills to join the world in productive work efforts. It is because these people say that the disabled are extremely limited that those with "special needs" are not given the extra assistance they need to show their full potential, which may be far beyond what many think.

Dillon Barmache is a 14-year-old who is completely non-verbal due to his autism. Despite the inability to communicate verbally, Barmache, is well-aware of the world around him and knows what it is that others think about him.

To have his thoughts be heard Barmache was given the opportunity to address the graduating class of Hale Charter Academy by using a tablet to read the words he typed to the class.

Before the tablet gave Barmache the opportunity to communicate, his anxiety would build up due to the limitless amount of thoughts he could not express. Autism is well-known for making social interactions very difficult for those who have it. My own brother was told he would never speak since he was still non-verbal at the age of three. Luckily, my brother was able to gain the ability to speak. Still, my brother has difficulty describing what is on his mind. Barmache on the other hand may not be able to speak but he is able to write down how he feels.

Both my brother and Barmache, face obstacles when it comes to communication. Still, it is not right for people to assume that their inability to communicate the way most people do means that they do not have a clue as to what is going on. They know more than many may think.

If you watch Barmache's speech you will see that he explains the difficulties not only he, but everybody faces. He mentions that nobody else but you alone, knows what is going on in your mind. And although some may see a person who is mentally disabled and think that they do not think the way a "normal" person does and have very limited ideas, Barmache reminds us that everyone's mind has no set limit. He encourages people to always be open-minded and look inside other people's experiences to gain different perspectives of the world we live in.

So explore your thoughts and find a way to express your ideas. We may not all be geniuses but we are all limitless. Communication is not something that is only difficult for the disabled, it is something we all have trouble with. In one way or another, we all at some point did not know how to express ourselves. Some of us may still not know what it is that we need to do to be heard. We may seem to be able to socialize just fine, but are we really expressing our thoughts and ideas?

When you see someone who disabled do not assume that they are not able to think as we do, because they are. All they need is a little help to find a way to express their thoughts. Whether it is through writing, painting, or music. Like us, they have hidden talents and would like to feel like their thoughts are heard.

To those interested in reading his speech click on the link below:
http://abc7.com/news/non-verbal-teen-with-autism-gives-grad-speech/96359/