I recently had an experience reminding me how scary and unsafe it can feel to be misunderstood.

Reflecting on that, I thought of how often nonspeakers live with that feeling—whether they communicate through open spelling, supported spelling, devices, or behaviors like screaming or leading a parent by the hand.

I talk about how feeling unsafe can push the nervous system into hyperarousal (like self-injury, hitting, or over-explaining) or hypoarousal (shutting down, withdrawing, or sleeping), and how nervous system regulation tools helped me after my own situation.

For parents, I suggest acknowledging to your child, “You’re probably feeling misunderstood…I’m here with you and I love you,”

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