Verbal vs non-verbal, your thoughts

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All right, when do you call a person a verbal autistic person and when a non-verbal autistic person?

If you hear about a verbal autistic person, would you expect them to speak when you meet them?
Same with a non-verbal person, would you expect them to be unable to say words?

I've so often heard verbal being used for people who can always speak and non-verbal for people who can never speak.

What's up with that? I hear this about autistic people often - either you#re verbal or non-verbal.

What's the word for people who can speak sometimes, can't at other times? Because many are like this but don't get mentioned? I have the impression people fail to remember this group of autistic people often because they think that verbal = can speak always and non-verbal = can't speak.

I agree that there seems no place for ambiguity, or shades of grey, between the two.

Many "nonverbal" autistics do vocalize at times. I once babysat an autistic kid who said nothing ever but, "food, please." To me, that is a verbal autistic.

Go figure!

Part time verbal? I dunno.
Also, define "speak".

One magician once found that he did better when he didn't talk! Some have called him mute, though he isn't. Oh yeah, it is HARD to be mute like that, so he teamed up with a guy that LOVES to talk. Maybe you've heard of them. Penn and teller! Here is tellers bio:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teller_(magician)

As derived from speech. Vocalisation of communication. Saying words with your voice.

Most non verbal Auties are verbal in some way [of all the NVAs am know,theres only one who is close to using no verbal sound at all but she has been prof/deaf since birth].

Am see non verbalism the same way as 'Autistic'...
they both have one size stereotypes attached to them [eg,non verbalism=someone who is completely lacking in any verbal sound...Autistic=classic autism] but they're both spectrums and apply to people on many levels.
there's also many different causes of NVism in Auties,but a lot of people have very limited ideas and personal set criteria on what it is,and have their own ignorances on what NVers can do [such as- 'Non verbal autistics cant speak in text or use forums'].

Am NV/SI [fully NV,inability to make any voice sounds],and usually have some limited/impaired speech every day before it switches off, so am not full time non verbal,there's different ways can refer to non full time NVism depending on own experience,
if are non verbal-partly,occasionally or otherwise fully-are all on the same 'spectrum' but individually have all been dealt different strengths of it.

I take the original meaning:

Nonverbal = unable to communicate via verbal ability (spoken and written)

However, the trend today seems to be if someone can offer one or a few words, usually communicative in content and context, as nonverbal. Which I find silly, personally; limited verbal ability, yes, but not nonverbal.

Well, yes, I know that. Lol.
I meant, more, like.
Communicative "original" speech? Non-communicative "original" speech? Communicative echolalia? Non-communicative echolalia?
You see what I'm saying?

Ah, yes. That's not considered mostly when people refer to verbal or non-verbal autistic people, I think? Another detail that's missing from most discussions.

It's a level above the mere distinction if a person is able to form words with their voice or not, but that's fine to discuss here too I guess because it's also an important aspect just like the question of 'how much speech'.

the way i see it.

NV= inable to communicate needs, wants, and desires. IE if an autistic can speak, just not tell you what he/she want, needs or desires, then IMO they aren't really verbal.

That being said most autisitcs i have meet that can speak can also communicate in some way to tel what they need/want/desire. Now that i think of it, one could probably be both, just at different times of the day ( as in it can change from hour to hour), although i don't know how common it wold be.

Selective mutism.

see i dont define nonverbal as completely nothing coming out of their mouth, if their vocab is only maybe about 20 words and their lets say 10 years old, their considered nonverbal, they cant have a conversation with you, can't verbally tell you in a sentence what they did today, thats considered nonverbal in medical terms at the hospital i volunteer at where im around severely-profoundly autistics. Now I define verbal autistic if they can have a conversation, even if its a mini conversation or at least even say a whole sentence, that is a verbal autistic to me and where i volunteer at. Basically if you can verbally express your wants, needs in sentences not just random words and maybe even have a conversation your verbal. If you can only express random words, at random times or use echolalia as speaking, or have a very small vocabulary verbally, meaning not able to have a conversation at all, or even speak a whole sentence, ur considered nonverbal. Theres a girl at the place I help and visit at, where their all basically profoundly autistic, some maybe severely, and one of the girls can't even say hi or bye, but can sing a melody, not the whole song but sing parts of it, besides that all that comes out of her mouth is noises. Or a boy who can repeat what you say thats it, and maybe repeat the last word of ur sentence like if i said im going to get ice cream, he would repeat cream over for about an hour then later on i might say want a drink, he'll repeat drink over and over, now thats his speech for the entire day, like maybe 5 words, both of them live in a group home designed just for children and young adults who are nonverbal. Like another boy will say his name, tell you the day, answer maybe a question with a ya or shake the head of no, say food, or drink, or say bad or tickle, but thats about it with some other random words, hes considered nonverbal. So anyways thats my 2 cents on the subject, i agree with the group home and the hospital i volunteer at, but jus my opinion.

But selective autism is a disorder in itself, it isn't related to autism.

selective mutism isnt when you Can speak at some times and Cant speak other times, if you verbally can't thats a different story, if you Chose not speak at some times and at others you chose to speak thats more selective mutism, isnt it? because your selecting that, basically chosing when to speak and not. For me I can speak at my house sometimes well, sometimes basically the same as a 2 year old, I verbally Cant speak most other places I have to use sign language to get across what i want or need, and jus basic signs, or echolalia, or random words. I wish I can jus say well im turning my voice off ill turn it back on in a bit if anybody needs me use sign to get through to me, no i wish i can do that, but thats not the case for me, or a choice i have. If im wrong about the definition of selective mutism please somebody correct me, but from what i understand what Sora said isnt selective mutism, i think its partially verbal if theres such a thing haha. Anyways hope i didnt offend anybody either.

No. Selective mutism is where you are unable speak in certain situations because of anxiety. I guess the "selective" part is misleading. I has nothing to do with choosing not to speak... the person can't speak.

thats intersting yea the selective thing throws me off, i dont have anxiety, verbally lose my speech doesnt matter where i am, or what im doing or the situation, i can only talk for a couple hours then its basically echolalia or random words, its like my vocal cords are like ahh crap im tired haha. anyways thanks, for clearing that up though