The Diagnosis Diaries: Making the Invisible, Visible

Finding His Voice: Viraj Dhanda's Story of Silent Strength Imagine spending years trying to show the world that you understand—while being completely unable to speak or type your thoughts.   That was Viraj Dhanda’s reality. Diagnosed with autism and childhood apraxia of speech (CAS), Viraj is also nonverbal. For much of his early life, he was believed to be developmentally delayed—simply because he couldn’t express himself in traditional ways. But behind his quiet presence, his mind was sharp, aware, and absorbing everything. And one day, his father realized it.   The Breakthrough Though Viraj couldn't talk or use a keyboard with both hands, his father noticed he could type with one thumb. He taught him. And what happened next changed everything at 14 years of age. Viraj started typing. Not just letters or random words—sentences, thoughts, full expressions that revealed something incredible: he had understood everything all along. Viraj continues to comm...

Speaking Up for the Quiet Signs When we think about autism, many of us imagine certain clear signs: a child who avoids eye contact, doesn’t respond to their name, or doesn’t smile. These have long been seen as classic “red flags” that prompt evaluations and early diagnosis. But what if your child does have some of these behaviors? What if they smile, respond to their name, and even make eye contact — yet still struggle deeply in ways that aren’t immediately obvious? The Signs That Didn’t Fit the Script My son Colton could do many of the things people typically think rule out autism. As a baby and toddler, he smiled. He looked at people. He would often turn when his name was called. He even passed his 18-month autism screening with no concerns flagged. But everything shifted around age three, when he experienced a speech regression and lost all of his “real” words. When I brought up autism as a possible explanation, I was told, “Well, regression can be a sign of autism,...