My 11-year-old daughter who has severe autism, still has less than 10 words in her vocabulary. And most of those words you have to really figure out what she is saying.

Be prepared mentally to accept a child may never speak many words. But I saw YouTube video recently they gave me a lot of hope.

It was a story of a child who is completely nonverbal, she is now in her teens. She had access to a computer and was able to learn to type and then communicate. In complete and totally understandable sentences. Even though she couldn't talk, she was in there. Underneath the level of communication we normally expect.

Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMBzJleeOno

Our son "talks" but many of his verbalizations were delayed echolalia or one or two word utterances. We have recently started using an augmented communication device called a DynaVox. It has made a big difference in his life. He uses it to request, to sequentially process activities (e. g. working through the steps of bathing & shaving), and to communicate at work.

We had to work with a speech pathologist to explore the right device for him, but with the proper recommendations from his doctor, the device and speech sessions were paid for by Medicaid. Using the DynaVox has actually increased how much he talks, and how purposeful his language is, because the device serves as a model for how he should speak.

I highly recommend working with a speech therapist experienced with individuals with autism, who can identify a communication method which works for your son.