Black people understand non-verbal communication deeply. Communication is more than just words, & taking kids to ABA isn’t the Black way forward; it’s rooted in white-centered practices that causes trauma and many of us consider abusive. Watch this 👇🏾 let me explain #nonverbal

2/ Through looks, body language, and even the rhythm of our breathing, Black people communicate non-verbally all the time. If you don’t want to engage or listen, that’s on you. But let’s be real, what you’re really saying is that you want your child to communicate neurotypically, no matter the traumatic cost to them, for your comfort. #ABA

3/ Non-verbal communication is deeply rooted in Black culture, born from historical necessity. During slavery and segregation, when words could mean danger, gestures, songs, and symbols became tools of resistance and connection, like coded hymns in the Underground Railroad.

4/ Within Black families, “the look” or subtle gestures speak volumes. A raised eyebrow, a side glance, or a pause in breathing often carries more meaning than words ever could, without a single sentence spoken. #autisticchildren

5/For neurodivergent Black individuals, this rich tradition of non-verbal communication aligns naturally with diverse ways of expressing and connecting. It’s a cultural strength that inherently rejects therapies like ABA, dismisses neurotypical standards rigid expression. #neurodivergent

6/Black culture’s non-verbal depth also challenges Western norms that center verbal communication. It’s a reminder that communication is vast, nuanced, and diverse, far beyond the limited lens of spoken words. #nonverbalcommunication

7/ The more I unmask and dive into researching Black neurodivergence, the clearer it is: colonialism has us all messed up. Forcing kids to conform, making autistics mask to the point of developing gastrointestinal issues and constant diarrhea this is not it. #Neurodiversity

8/ Free us from these shackles already, and let people embrace diverse ways of communicating instead of bullying a few into submission. Signed, an intermittently non-verbal autist begging for liberation. #AutismAwareness

And since I am coming to video near you soon if you wish to support my work here you go.

More on #nonverbalcommunication

If I say ABA is not the Black way, believe me. Its founder, Dr. O. Ivar Lovaas, is no different from Marion Sims, the ‘father of gynecology,’ who tested on Black bodies. We’ve never been safe in healthcare, why is that? Reform isn’t enough; we must dismantle these systems entirely.

In the words of my grandma, whiteness as a construct is so weak it needs you to think it’s powerful, so you won’t share power or knowledge with your own people and will stay stunted. But we have our ways, and that’s why they couldn’t erase our knowledge. We transferred it person to person, through griots and family background keepers, preserving what they couldn’t burn.

🤝 Interviewing with HR or non-technical managers? 🌟 Employers value clarity and confidence. Cybersecurity Dictionary for Everyone teaches you to explain cybersecurity concepts in a way everyone can understand. Build connections that matter! 🌟