"for you, i would" is such a gentle & sweet love language. like, no, maybe i wouldn't usually do this, but i would love to do it if it would make you happy.
kids can tell when they’re being treated differently; when you think they’re stupid or subhuman. treating her like she was incapable and needed me to be her “voice” is beyond insulting. disabled children (and adults) deserve dignity, autonomy, and compassion like everyone else.
one of my elementary school bffs had selective mutism and i became a sort of middle man between her and everyone else who wanted to speak with her, until finally i got frustrated and told a teacher “she can talk, she doesn’t want to talk to YOU”
just watched a documentary about selective mutism and was reminded of my first day working in a preschool where the teachers said this one girl doesn't talk but my introvert ass just sat in the corner and observed her and noticed she loved her stuffed polar bear so i asked her