Jessica Fletcher’s keyboard tattoo isn’t just stylish — it’s also become part of her son’s speech. Her 11-year-old son Hunter is autistic and nonverbal. Up until recently, he relied mainly on an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device, a virtual tablet that has words and symbols he can select, to communicate. But that changed when the pair were at a restaurant, and his device died. Fletcher drew an alphabet on a piece of paper for him to spell out what he wanted to eat — but she said that slightly frustrated Hunter. Instead, he flipped the paper over and drew a keyboard — and “typed” his order on that. “That sparked the idea for me that I can’t limit him to technology because technology does fail us,” she said. Fletcher wanted to make that access permanent, so with the help of Main Street Tattoo Company, she had a keyboard — complete with a smiley and unhappy emoji “button” and an “I heart you” option — tattooed onto her arm last month. “When we remove communication barriers, we’re giving non-speakers the chance to show us who they really are,” she said. Fletcher said the tattoo also means Hunter can communicate more discreetly, unlike the AAC device that speaks out loud each word he selects. Social media video goes viral A video of the keyboard shared to her Facebook account, Hunter’s Voice, has gained millions of views and 1.5 million likes. In it, she shows her son using the keyboard, while writing on the video says, “Some mothers carry their children. Some mothers carry the words their children cannot say.” She has also partnered with the Maritimer Clothing Company to sell shirts with keyboards on the sleeve — spreading access to the concept beyond her own arm. “I have fellow autism parents, nurses, doctors, first responders all over the world reaching out wanting shirts with it on the sleeve, and tattoo artists all over the world now offering to do it for free for parents of non-speaking children,” she said. Maddy Dever is autistic, a parent to four autistic young adults and the chair of the National Autism Network. Dever said many nonverbal children rely on their parents to be their voice to the world, making ideas like Fletcher’s that much more important. “So many people, when they’re given the avenue that works, oh my god we find out how intelligent these kids are,” they said. For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
