Apple created a short film to celebrate Autism Acceptance Day which focuses on Dillan Barmache, a 16 year old high school boy who is on the autism spectrum. Although Dillan can’t speak, he has a lot to say; in the film Dillan uses an iPad to express his powerful and complex thoughts; exemplifying that those with Autism are just like everyone else. The story is brought to you by your Los Angeles Voice Therapy team, who also specializes in language disorders related to autism.

In the film, Dillan is able to tell his story in his own words with an app called AAC (augmented and alternative communication). The way it works is the user types out what they want to say then the app speaks the text out loud to whoever is listening. This film takes a huge step in transforming the way many people think of autistic people, especially those that are nonverbal.

Individuals on the autism spectrum often lack abilities that help them in expressing their internal thoughts and feelings; their stories are often communicated through family members or caregivers. Dillan, like most high school teenagers, has a lot of thoughts and feelings to express, and for the first time he’s finally able to do just that.

Dillan has used an iPad to communicate for three years; his story went viral after he used it to deliver an emotional and thought-invoking speech at his middle school graduation. For the past three years this iPad technology has become an essential tool in his everyday life, whether he uses it to talk to his teachers at school or to communicate with his mom at home. Prior to this technology, Dillan said he spent a lot of his time struggling to connect with the people around him.

Dillan says, “So many people can’t understand that I have a mind. All they see is a person who is not in control.