Canadian Mom Tattoos Keyboard On Arm To Help Autistic Son Communicate

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New Brunswick: Jessica Fletcher, a mother from Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, has tattooed a QWERTY keyboard on her forearm to enable her 11-year-old son, Hunter, who is nonverbal and autism, communicate when his technological gadget is not available.

Hunter's AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) device ran out of battery when the two were at a restaurant, prompting the idea. Hunter drew a keyboard on a tissue paper and gestured to the letters to convey his order.

Fletcher planned to permanently tattoo the keyboard on her arm as a backup that would never need to be charged. The tattoo also features joyful and sad faces, as well as the ‘I love you’ symbol. Hunter wrote ‘Mama’ as soon as Fletcher showed him the tattoo. He can now spell words and communicate with her by tapping letters on her arm.

Later, Fletcher posted a video of Hunter utilising the tattoo, which went viral on the internet and apparently garnered over two million likes. Other parents have been motivated by the concept, which has also sparked interest in tattoos and apparel with keyboard themes as substitute communication tools.

The story has also inspired tattoo artists to offer similar communication tattoos to families of autistic children. Some artists have reportedly volunteered to create keyboard tattoos for parents free of charge, seeing the designs as a practical way to support non-speaking children whose communication devices may not always be available.

Photo Credits: HISTECHO/Facebook