How many non verbal children did you know growing up? How many do you know now?

2 growing up (my brother and a child in my class at school who left mid-primary presumably to go to special school)

1 now (my brother)

In both cases I could count the many other people who are at the school/care home my brother is in but the number won't differ.

Depends on your definition of non-verbal, I suppose. If you mean elective mutism then I didn't know any then or now. I'm guessing because as adults we have to speak or what's the alternative?
If you mean non-verbal due to a disability then I knew none as a kid growing up- I went to a mainstream school, and there were kids who were struggling but they were in a group with an SEN teacher but they could all speak.
My friend has a severely disabled sister so I know of one now. And non-verbal doesn't totally describe her as she does make noises, but, unless you know her really well can't always tell what it is she's trying to communicate.

None growing up, none now. We did have a family friend with a child who had fairly severe MH issues and eventually became non-verbal and unable to care for themselves in adulthood. But that child was relatively "normal" during childhood and was able read, write and speak throughout school.

Have a friend who is an assistant teacher and says they are getting more kids coming in to school who aren’t toilet trained, no reason other than the parents haven’t done it.

I can remember being able to talk and having friends that couldn't talk yet. Also being asked to speak in simpler sentences so other kids could understand. We'd all have been about 3 I suppose.
I had a friend that was partially deaf who took a long time to start talking.
So.....one or two from childhood..

From my kids childhood....One of mine was a bit delayed and was talking in two word sentences at 3 years old.
I know a few others like that. Either simpler language than you'd expect. Or speech that isn't clear to people who don't know them well.
I sometimes see kids in the supermarket who seem to have the language skills you'd expect in much younger kids.
I know an older kid with limited speech due to learning disabilities, although he knows a lot of macaton.

Both times.....fairly poor areas. Apparently our kids are about 18 months behind the curve on average.
They get there in the end though.
I don't know any primary age non verbal kids, except where there's an obvious disability.

None and none

None, but that was the 60s and they’d have been in special school. One now, severely autistic, and he probably would have been in a special residential school when I was young.

He is in a special unit in mainstream school now. Don’t know if that’s what you mean?

One growing up who was my deaf friend and one now who is my brothers best friends daughter who has ASD.

None and none.

However, I grew up in the 60s, when children with additional needs were routinely placed in special schools, often residential, and so there was little contact with children with issues like this.

None of my friends or family had children with additional needs, either.

@Perzival not to be picky, but if the person communicates using AAC (as my DS does) then they are not non-verbal. It is not the same thing. My DS will also "talk the hind leg off a donkey", he just doesn't do it using his mouth. He would not be happy with being referred to as non-verbal.

Growing up- 0
6 years ago in my mainstream school- 1
Now in my mainstream school- well over a dozen

Well a lot when I was at primary in the 80s as our school was next to a home for the 'mentally subnormal' . They were just sadly hidden from mainstream life.

Now I don't know any non verbal children .

i didn't know any growing up but a few now. However, both DC have disabilities so we have a lot of links to the disability communities. My severely disabled child has a rare chromo disorder. I read once that many scientists believe these are more common now (environmental factors such as pollution). DC's special school says the co-hort has completely changed in the last 10-20 years and that there are a lot more severely disabled children. Nothing to do with better diagnosis - these are severity brackets which wouldn't have flown under the radar. Even many moons ago.

None, I know one now, my friend's DS. I think they were more kept 'out of sight'. Whereas we don't do that anymore. We integrate more.

@TigerRag

I knew a non verbal child who was in the same mainstream school as myself

Right, but the vast majority, certainly 40 years ago, would not have seen a mainstream primary school.

None and one

It would be interesting to know the statistics on whether there's been an increase in numbers, or just in awareness.

In the 60s children with asthma, deafness, blindness and other physical disabilities were in special schools, presumably non-verbal children were too.

In primary school there was only one child with a visible disability, who wore a leg caliper brace after contracting polio.

3 growing up, 2 children and one young adult who was the son of one of parents friends.

Now, hundreds as I work in Learning Disability services, but socially and unrelated to work- 2, the man from before and the daughter of a friend.

I knew a non verbal child who was in the same mainstream school as myself

Now, I know 2 non verbal children and a non verbal adult

Zero and 2

None and none

There are children who are non verbal that can communicate using aac. Fit some it maybe very basic but for others they just use a different means of communication.

None growing up and many now. My ds has severe autism so I've met many families with children who are non verbal. Also, he now attends a special school for children with severe autism, about half the children are non verbal.

Yes, there's a massive difference.

Our DS has situational mutism (ASD) but in the right situation will talk the hind legs off a donkey without drawing breath!

A pair of twins at primary in the 80's who were selective mute (they had their own way of communicating with each other] - I understand that it was eventually resolved.

I know none now