’Would you date a 21-year-old person with autism?’
According to the National Autism Association, about 40 percent of autistic children do not have the ability to talk. Although some will eventually develop speaking skills, some will never use language in a meaningful way. Others will use picture cards or sign language, and some learn to communicate through written or typed language. One inspiring woman with nonverbal autism has found her voice in the world and is using it to teach people about autism while getting them to laugh along the way. Meet Carly Fleischmann.
Fleischmann has nonverbal autism and never said a word until at the age of 11 when she shocked her family by typing the words “hurt” and “help” on a computer. This breakthrough encouraged them to help Fleischmann improve her communication skills through the written word. She’d eventually become a successful blogger and author. Now, she’s the host of a new talk show and just landed her first major guest, Channing Tatum.
Last week, the Magic Mike star sat down with the popular blogger for the first episode of her show, “Speechless with Carly Fleischmann.” Fleischmann conducts her interviews by writing questions on an iPad and they are read aloud by Siri. Although it may seem the gaps in communication would make for an awkward interview, Fleischmann is quick on her feet and her iPad, and hit it off with Tatum immediately. During the interview, Fleischmann hilariously tries to woo Tatum from his wife and and dared to ask him some personal questions about his former job as a stripper. In just ten days, the interview has been watched over 2,700,00 times, so it looks like Fleischmann has another hit on her hands.