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

None and one now

Everything in context.i didn't know any growing up ,but having my own severely disabled non verbal child I now know quite a few !

Lots! My mum worked in a nursery and also did babysitting for some of the children. Many non-verbal high needs children. They went on to schools for children with complex needs.

Now-still lots. I work in one of these schools now.

A lot of babies would have died in the first few weeks from various syndromes/chromosomal differences/congenital differences/birth injuries survive now. So, they are perhaps more visible in the population.

Growing up, a few because my DSM volunteered for Mencap.
Now, there are 3 in my kids school.

None when I was growing up (that I can remember but I did go to a primary school that has a special needs class so it's possible)
And I know four now. My little ds and 2 others in his nursery class

Growing up - honestly, I’ve no idea: my primary school had what was called the Remedial Unit and I suspect that was where all the children with any type of impairment went and there could have been any number of non verbal children. Before mainstream schooling for all I guess that was why they seemed uncommon. I still don’t know any, but I don’t have or know many children or any neurodivergent people who might have, on the basis it’s thought to be at least partially hereditary, neurodivergent children.

one growing up and one now - at least I presume he is still non verbal. I knew him when he was a preschooler.

0 and now 2

Loads growing up but my mum used to work in a sn school , I'm not sure now , a fair few over the last 11 years. One of my dc didn't speak until he was 5

None growing up. Many now I work in a special ASD school.

But that's probably the reason you and I and many others didn't know them growing up. Because they tend to go to special schools, not mainstream.

Until very recently, children with that level of additional needs weren't allowed to attend mainstream school, or groups, and as adults had to live in care homes. That was still happening 25 years ago and many adults aged 40+ are still living in care homes meant for the elderly.
Society moved on and recognised that we shouldn't keep people locked away. That's a good thing.

None growing up and I'd still know none if it wasn't for my son. The number of non verbal children is very small surely? Some kids are selectively mute but that is not non verbal.

I live in a huge county and going on the number of SEN schools that cater for non verbal kids I'd say there are no more than 30-40 non verbal kids born per year.

Unless you live next to one of very few SLD/ PMLD/ speech and language schools. In which case people do move to be closer.

None / none

We had a little girl in Brownies. She was with us from age 7 to 10 and never said a word the whole time. She joined in everything.
That was 10 years ago. I've seen her around since - she talks now.

1 during the 80's, a lovely boy with autism.

None and none.
Lived in a few different areas of the country as well.

Zero, and now 3

2, maybe more when I was growing up that I remember. They had cerebral palsy or Down syndrome. I now “know” far more because my child goes to a special school and there’s many children there who are non verbal for a whole load of different reasons. I don’t know them but my child does and will say hi. And a neighbour where I used to live has/had a child with selected mutism but don’t know if that counts.

My best friend sister when I was growing up was non-verbal & had other disabilities (not physical) though I don’t know what her diagnosis would have been at the time (early 90’s)

My cousin also didn’t speak until she was around 10/11. She rarely made a sound - occasionally screeching. She is now 28 and will never live independently.My aunt is her full time carer. It took a very long time to get any diagnosed for her growing up, eventually being diagnosed with autism.

My friends son is now 10 and with speech therapy he is slowly communicating. He rarely says a word - but does try. It’s like the wiring between his brain and mouth doesn’t work. He has a lovely sense of humour! But the struggle with communication is beginning to frustrate him :(

None growing up. Now I have an autistic child I know of a few who started speaking very late so would meet your not speaking age 3 criteria but they can speak now. And 2 fully non verbal. But again I mix with SEN people so would see more

2 and none now.

Lots and lots.

But then my DSis was non-verbal as a child and attended a special school so I mixed in circles made of kids with SEND. Now I have a son who was non/verbal until his teens and I work with people with autism and learning disabilities.

I really doubt there's lots more non-verbal children now than 30-40 years ago; just greater inclusion making them more visible in wider society.

Also being non-verbal is completely different to situational mutism (not selective!) those with situational mutism are perfectly able to speak. Most of the kids I know who experience it are extremely intelligent and fabulous young people, there are multiple differences at play which make them unable to verbalise in certain situations. (ASC, mental health challenges, etc).

None growing up.
Now I can think of two plus another couple who have speech issues.

Not sure whether it is now more common. I think the difference is as adults we tend to be in contact and know of more people and their families. As children we just knew about our close family, neighbours and friends at school. Plus it would have been unlikely a non verbal child would be in a mainstream school a few decades ago.

Up to 2 growing up (1 selective mute school friend who only spoke to her family at home and one adult son of a neighbour who attended a 'special day centre' and had a severe learning disability - not sure if he was 100% non-verbal but certainly practically so as far as we were concerned)

None now, despite knowing lots of home educated children with various SEN.