Non-verbal teen with autism delivers inspiring graduation speech
Facebook/ABC7
Fourteen-year-old Dillan Barmache is unable to communicate verbally. On Thursday, the teenager got his message across when he served as graduation speaker for Hale Charter Academy in Woodland Hills, California, using his iPad to do the talking.
"We all want to share who we are, we all want to share our thoughts and ideas and questions and worries, and I think every individual has that right," Dillan said during his address.
Dillan is non-verbal and has autism. His mother, Tami, told ABC7 Los Angeles that by the time Dillan was 10, the family tried all of the interventions that are common for children with his condition. Dillan grew more and more frustrated with not being able to communicate, and his mood and movements became hard to control. Once he enrolled in Hale Charter Academy, his communication support aide, Debbie Spengler, introduced him to an iPad with a letter board, and he quickly learned how to use it to spell out words. Once he mastered the letter board, Dillan's world opened up.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Dillan will start high school next year, taking general education classes, and thinks he might study psychology in the future. "Education is a better institution when all students have opportunity, plus a chance to take an idea and see the lessons within," he said. "With your mind, no one can place limits on where an idea can take you."
Dillan's speech earned a standing ovation. Watch the inspiring address below. --Catherine Garcia
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Today's political cartoons - April 17, 2024
Cartoons Wednesday's cartoons - political anxiety, jury sorting hat, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Arid Gulf states hit with year's worth of rain
Speed Read The historic flooding in Dubai is tied to climate change
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
USC under fire for canceling valedictorian speech
Speed Read Citing safety concerns, the university canceled a pro-Palestinian student's speech
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Empty-nest boomers aren't selling their big homes
Speed Read Most Americans 60 and older do not intend to move, according to a recent survey
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Brazil accuses Musk of 'disinformation campaign'
Speed Read A Brazilian Supreme Court judge has opened an inquiry into Elon Musk and X
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Disney board fends off Peltz infiltration bid
Speed Read Disney CEO Bob Iger has defeated activist investor Nelson Peltz in a contentious proxy battle
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Disney and DeSantis reach detente
Speed Read The Florida governor and Disney settle a yearslong litigation over control of the tourism district
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Visa and Mastercard agree to lower swipe fees
Speed Read The companies will cap the fees they charge businesses when customers use their credit cards
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Reddit IPO values social media site at $6.4 billion
Speed Read The company makes its public debut on the New York Stock Exchange
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Housing costs: the root of US economic malaise?
speed read Many voters are troubled by the housing affordability crisis
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Feds cap credit card late fees at $8
speed read The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finalized a rule to save households an estimated $10 billion a year
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published