"Mama": The non-verbal child typed the first word on his mother's tattoo
Jessica Fletcher from Canada tattooed a full keyboard on her forearm for her 11-year-old son Hunter, who is on the autism spectrum and is non-verbal. The idea was born after his communication device died during a meal at a restaurant. When she showed him the tattoo, he grabbed her arm and typed the word "Mama" on it.
Jessica Fletcher, a Canadian mother to an 11-year-old son who is on the autism spectrum and does not use speech, found an unusual solution for times when technology leaves him without a means of communication: she tattooed a full QWERTY keyboard on her forearm, which he can point to and "type" words on. The first time Hunter saw the tattoo, the message he chose to write was very short: "Mama".
Hunter usually uses an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device, an electronic system that allows people who do not use speech to select letters, words, and symbols to express themselves. However, during a meal at a restaurant, the battery on his device died just as it was time to order food. Fletcher tried to help and wrote the alphabet for him on paper, but the standard arrangement of letters did not suit Hunter, who was used to a keyboard. He turned the page over, drew a keyboard himself from memory, and used it to show his mother what he wanted to order.
"It sparked the idea for me that I can't limit him to technology, because technology does fail sometimes," she told CTV News, a Canadian news network.
From there, the path to the tattoo was short. Fletcher tattooed a keyboard on her arm that mimics the layout Hunter already knows. Alongside the letters, a happy face, a sad face, and an "I ♥️ You" button were added, allowing him to express affection without typing the entire sentence. But the most moving moment came when Hunter saw the tattoo for the first time.
"The moment I showed it to him after I picked him up from school, he immediately grabbed my hand and typed 'Mama'," Fletcher said.
Later that evening, before bed, he used the tattoo again to write to her: "I love you, Mama". The tattoo is not intended to replace the AAC device that Hunter uses daily, but to serve as a backup that does not depend on a battery or electricity. It is especially useful in places where it is difficult to take an electronic device, such as a pool or a water play area. And it has another advantage: while the electronic device can speak the words Hunter chooses aloud, on his mother's arm he can "whisper" and have a private conversation with her using only touches.
The story spread quickly online. Fletcher posted a short video on the "Hunter's Voice" Facebook page showing Hunter using the tattoo to type "splash pad". The reactions also led to another step. Fletcher partnered with a local business to create long-sleeved shirts with a keyboard printed on the sleeve, so that family members, caregivers, and friends could offer a similar means of communication without getting a tattoo. According to reports, tattoo artists have also offered to perform similar tattoos free of charge for other families.
