Dad gets tattoo to help autistic son communicate

1 week ago 1

Tom Jackson / BBC Joshie sitting on his dad's lap, both are wearing grey T-shirts and black trousers

The father of a 10-year-old autistic boy has tattooed the alphabet onto his arm so that he can always communicate with his non-speaking son.

Dan Harris and his son Joshie, from Peterborough, have been campaigning globally to give a voice to non-speaking children with autism and previously secured funding to install 100 communication image boards around the city.

Joshie relies on technology every day and uses an iPad - referred to as a "talker" - with advanced software as a means of communication.

Yet Mr Harris's "fear" of the iPad's unreliable signal and battery power prompted him to get a tattoo with the 26 letters of the English alphabet on his left arm, so that Joshie can always speak to him.

Tom Jackson / BBC Joshie is pointing to Dan's arm, which has a tattoo of the alphabet on it. They are both wearing grey T-shirts

Mr Harris said: "Joshie doesn't communicate in a traditional way. He has an iPad that can identify pictures, and words and has images of his favourite people and things which can help him tell you when he wants a pizza.

"We have been in middle of a forest and on a beach where there is no battery in talker and you can imagine the fear when we can't communicate with him.

"As parents, we go through sadness as we can see he is desperate to communicate something.

"And now I have this tattoo on my left arm where alphabets are arranged in a way around a square box to help Joshi communicate."

'Global trend'

Mr Harris, who is also the founder of the charity Neurodiversity in Business, which advocates for more awareness of neurodiversity, said he felt "privileged" to campaign with Joshie, who he referred to as a "little superhero".

"I didn't have any visible tattoos before as I didn't think it was professional," Mr Harris said.

"But we need him to be able to communicate at all times. And if it promotes a conversation about why I have got it, then that's part of our mission too.

"The light he is shining globally... people want to do the same thing - it has become a global trend and he is leading the fight and I am so pleased."

Mr Harris is currently working with the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, to make London an inclusive capital.