Here's an update on my AAC journey.
So the doctors has found a cause for my speech disability and it's dysarthria and TMJ disorder! It makes sense to why I am semi-nonverbal since the muscles that produces speech is very weak and painful when controlling it which is why I slur my speech and stuttering! Because of this challenges, I am semi-nonverbal as described from my doctors. (The doctors put semi-nonverbal in my medical documents)
The reason why semi-nonverbal label is accurate to my experiences is that I am actually nonverbal as my normal state consistently as usual growing up! Meaning, yes, I do happen to face the similar obstacles and challenges that comes with being nonverbal but with very very limited speech when made to talk, hence falling in the middle of a constant state of being nonverbal with an optional ability for limited speech however this description is very very unique to my own since it's not the conventional nonverbal and semiverbal experience.
I am a full-time aac user for nearly a year now and it does comes with few challenges! Since being nonverbal with limited speech hence being semi-nonverbal, people do misunderstand me all the time and it's frustrating when you can't speak and when your AAC doesn't work XC. I use gestures and grunts sounds like "hmm" to get people's attention or to communicate. I do use my AAC everyday in every time I communicate and when I can't communicate, I just can't! People are very accepting with AAC but they get frustrated at me! It's difficult to talk because of dysarthria and TMJ! My family is very understanding and supportive so I'm fine using AAC around them :D.
I just learn to adapt to being semi-nonverbal and accept that it's just who I am now and my journey will continue!
