Summary
A mother from Philadelphia, Meleny Soto, captured her nonverbal autistic son speaking his first sentence, which was unexpected language, on video. The moment was shared on TikTok and gained attention as it showcased both her surprise and joy at her son's progress in speaking. Insights show that 25-35% of children with autism speak minimally, yet Soto's son, while still needing speech support, has made strides in other areas.
Key Facts
- Meleny Soto's son, who is nonverbal due to autism, said his first sentence caught on video.
- The incident occurred in Philadelphia and the video was shared on TikTok.
- Soto's son used an unexpected phrase instead of the prompted word “hello.”
- Around 25-35% of children with autism are minimally verbal according to research.
- Soto's son can spell and read big words and is improving in motor skills.
- He is making progress through therapy, involving games and learning basic skills.
- Speech therapy is hard to find locally, so Soto uses at-home learning methods.
- The TikTok video of her son gained over 900,000 views, showing public interest and encouragement.
