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A Day With No Words
A must-read that belongs in every home and classroom, A Day With No Words invites readers into the life of an Autism Family who communicates just as the child does, without spoken language.
This colorful and engaging picture book for young readers shares what life can look like for families who use nonverbal communication, utilizing tools to embrace their unique method of "speaking."
The story highlights the bond between mother and child and follows them on a day where they use a tablet to communicate with others.
This colorful and engaging picture book for young readers shares what life can look like for families who use nonverbal communication, utilizing tools to embrace their unique method of "speaking."
The story highlights the bond between mother and child and follows them on a day where they use a tablet to communicate with others.
48 pages, Hardcover
First published May 9, 2023
12 people are currently reading
1034 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 232 reviews
October 14, 2023
This book is a MUST READ! I work for a children’s hospital in primary care with Black families who are seeking an autism evaluation for their child. Having this book in our office to share with families has already been a game changer! Showing families a book that represents so many parts of their lived experience is such a blessing, and long overdue. Tiffany Hammond has done a wonderful job with this book and gives us a tangible reminder that if we aren’t taking an intersectional approach to advocacy and support- we aren’t doing it right! If you’re thinking about reading this book, please do. Then buy more and share them with the children, classrooms, and free little libraries in your life!
October 29, 2022
This book, this story, this family, these pictures are missing from so many bookshelves. It is such a beautiful story centering a Black Autistic child who uses AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) to speak.
Books are windows and mirrors, and we can all benefit from this window into Aiden and his family’s life as they communicate with each other and their community without spoken words. There is so much love and joy in the story while it is also an important lesson in advocacy and disability justice.
The digital ARC was so stunning, and I can’t wait to bring our copy home next spring.
Books are windows and mirrors, and we can all benefit from this window into Aiden and his family’s life as they communicate with each other and their community without spoken words. There is so much love and joy in the story while it is also an important lesson in advocacy and disability justice.
The digital ARC was so stunning, and I can’t wait to bring our copy home next spring.
May 22, 2023
“My son does not speak, but his ears work just fine. The words that you say go straight to his mind.”
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve had to remind people that just because Ophelia is non-speaking, that she still understands. To please not talk about her as if she isn’t in the room. To please shut up about Santa Claus because she can bloody well hear you.
I watch their eyes drift over to me when she starts tapping on her talker as if what she wants to communicate isn’t being said out loud by her device for everyone to hear. If it’s annoying for me, it’s downright frustrating for her.
“Why is she upset?”
“What does she want?”
“Why doesn’t she just say what she wants to say?”
In a world that prioritizes speech, she wants you to listen to her. To engage with her. To model for her so she can expand her vocabulary. We’ve used different communication aids for over four years now and it is still a constant advocacy battle for people to embrace, affirm and honour alternative methods of communication.
A Day with No Words is just that, an affirmation. One that tells the world that children like Aiden and Ophelia exist. But it isn’t just for families like ours, it’s for everyone. A little patience, a little kindness and a little education goes a long way towards acceptance.
Talk to your kids about neurodiversity. Talk to your kids about alternative forms of communication and remember that all kids understand more than we give them credit for.
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve had to remind people that just because Ophelia is non-speaking, that she still understands. To please not talk about her as if she isn’t in the room. To please shut up about Santa Claus because she can bloody well hear you.
I watch their eyes drift over to me when she starts tapping on her talker as if what she wants to communicate isn’t being said out loud by her device for everyone to hear. If it’s annoying for me, it’s downright frustrating for her.
“Why is she upset?”
“What does she want?”
“Why doesn’t she just say what she wants to say?”
In a world that prioritizes speech, she wants you to listen to her. To engage with her. To model for her so she can expand her vocabulary. We’ve used different communication aids for over four years now and it is still a constant advocacy battle for people to embrace, affirm and honour alternative methods of communication.
A Day with No Words is just that, an affirmation. One that tells the world that children like Aiden and Ophelia exist. But it isn’t just for families like ours, it’s for everyone. A little patience, a little kindness and a little education goes a long way towards acceptance.
Talk to your kids about neurodiversity. Talk to your kids about alternative forms of communication and remember that all kids understand more than we give them credit for.
October 31, 2022
Beautiful, powerful, necessary. Hammond is one of the most important autistic voices out there, both for her own experiences and how she advocates for her sons. This book needs to be in every classroom and library!
I describe myself as a usually-speaking autistic because sometimes I experience being non-speaking when overwhelmed (a shut-down in which it is impossible to speak). Seeing Hammond model an AAC device for herself in the book made me feel less alone.
Thank you for all of the incredible writing you do. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I describe myself as a usually-speaking autistic because sometimes I experience being non-speaking when overwhelmed (a shut-down in which it is impossible to speak). Seeing Hammond model an AAC device for herself in the book made me feel less alone.
Thank you for all of the incredible writing you do. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
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November 5, 2025It has taken me a while to process my feelings about this book. I am neurodivergent but allistic (not Autistic in other words) but I do experience periods of selective mutism and other struggles with words. Even now weeks after reading this I am struggling to express how much it meant to me.
It is like reading a poem. The art is so vibrant and it shows you so much about this family and how many dimensions they have. I absolutely love this and I think it should be in every school.
E. Lewy, former editor of Disability Right Now blog.
Second reading on the brand new audiobook! Phenomenal! Release date, November 4th 2025
It is like reading a poem. The art is so vibrant and it shows you so much about this family and how many dimensions they have. I absolutely love this and I think it should be in every school.
E. Lewy, former editor of Disability Right Now blog.
Second reading on the brand new audiobook! Phenomenal! Release date, November 4th 2025
October 29, 2022
This book blew me away. I have never read any book that captures so beautifully the daily poetry of our family with our non speaking and speaking family members. The fact that someone is non speaking is almost incidental to the daily poetry and rhythm of families who embrace and love each other fully.
May 27, 2023
Absolutely wonderful picture book. In my opinion, it belongs on the shelves of every elementary school class and in every public library. This book breaks down the barrier of us vs. them, first by having the first-person protagonist be a nonspeaking Autistic person of color, and secondly, by explicitly showing the ableism that pervades play spaces (and that ableism's impact on disabled folks and their families/caretakers). Beautifully illustrated, beautifully written.
June 14, 2023
I’ve been wanting to buy a copy and read this since Tiffany Hammond first posted about it on her Instagram. I love getting to know her and her sons through her posts, and this book gave another look into the support she provides (and that her son provides her) on a daily basis. Love!
May 15, 2023
"My son does not speak, but his ears work just fine. The words that you say go straight to his mind."
Thanks to @wheatpennypress @hearourvoicestours for the gifted copy. A Day With No Words by Tiffany Hammond was a beautiful story about a day in the life of a non-verbal autistic boy and his mom. He communicates through a tablet. I loved that this book educated about autism, non-verbal communication and exposed the ignorance of people who do not understand autism. I loved how the story highlighted that language comprehension is not only based on one's ability to speak verbally. There are other ways to communicate and not being able to speak does not mean that one does not understand. I also appreciated that it gave the perspective about sensory overload and anxiety from the main character's perspective. Autistic children face so much stigma and this book does a great job of showing their experience. The love between mother and son just warmed my heart.
This book would pair nicely with these ither children's books about autism:
👩👦My Brother Charlie by Holly Robinson Peete & Ryan Elizabeth Peete
👩👦The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Dr. Temple Grandin by Julia Finley Mosca
👩👦My Brother Otto by Meg Raby
👩👦Davis Speaks: A Brother with Autism by Teisha N. Glover & Nicholas Glover
Thanks to @wheatpennypress @hearourvoicestours for the gifted copy. A Day With No Words by Tiffany Hammond was a beautiful story about a day in the life of a non-verbal autistic boy and his mom. He communicates through a tablet. I loved that this book educated about autism, non-verbal communication and exposed the ignorance of people who do not understand autism. I loved how the story highlighted that language comprehension is not only based on one's ability to speak verbally. There are other ways to communicate and not being able to speak does not mean that one does not understand. I also appreciated that it gave the perspective about sensory overload and anxiety from the main character's perspective. Autistic children face so much stigma and this book does a great job of showing their experience. The love between mother and son just warmed my heart.
This book would pair nicely with these ither children's books about autism:
👩👦My Brother Charlie by Holly Robinson Peete & Ryan Elizabeth Peete
👩👦The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Dr. Temple Grandin by Julia Finley Mosca
👩👦My Brother Otto by Meg Raby
👩👦Davis Speaks: A Brother with Autism by Teisha N. Glover & Nicholas Glover
May 9, 2023
Buy this book. Support this book. Amplify the work that actually autistic advocates are doing whenever you can and most especially Tiffany Hammond's work. To say this book is in a league of its own is an understatement. Tiffany and Kate have birthed a book where autistic children, and Black autistic children in particular, can see themselves reflected on the page. A Day With No Words is a book everyone from any walk of life will benefit from reading. It is a book that honors the different ways we communicate and reminds us all that communication happens all the time, in many ways, not simply with words. Thank you to the author, illustrator and Row House Pub for this love offering to autism families!
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August 18, 2023A moving look at a day in the life of an Autistic family. Beautiful words and beautiful art. I’m proud to have had a chance to read an advanced copy 📖💕
May 10, 2023
Beautifully written and beautifully illustrated! A must for your home and classrooms. Perfect book to share with your family and friends to illustrate that some families, like mine, communicate nonverbally. I truly love this book, thank you for writing it!
October 29, 2022
This book is nothing short of magical. It’s a beautiful way to let Autistic nonspeakers see someone like them presented as intelligent and worthy of respect, and to introduce neurotypical children (and, frankly, adults) to the world of an Autistic boy who doesn’t speak out loud, but still thinks, feels, and communicates by other means.
I particularly like that the mama also uses a tablet to communicate—not just with the boy, but with others who might judge her for doing so. And that we see examples of both neurotypical people who do judge the boy as lesser and one who models rolling with his way of communicating. The illustrations are gorgeous, engaging, and full of spirit, and I count myself blessed to have received an advance edition.
I particularly like that the mama also uses a tablet to communicate—not just with the boy, but with others who might judge her for doing so. And that we see examples of both neurotypical people who do judge the boy as lesser and one who models rolling with his way of communicating. The illustrations are gorgeous, engaging, and full of spirit, and I count myself blessed to have received an advance edition.
November 5, 2022
Such a wonderful short story about non-verbal communication. I have a friend who is raising a non-verbal autistic Black son, and I will definitely buy this for them when it comes out.
November 4, 2022
A picture book seeing the people and world from an autistic boy's point of view, communicating by tablet. A beautiful book filled with musical words and enveloped by so much love❤️
February 9, 2023
I typically don't read a lot of children's fiction or picture books, but since I had access to an ARC from Row House I read A Day With No Words one night after work. I'm so glad I did.
A Day With No Words is written from the perspective of a Black autistic boy as he goes about his day with his mom. He doesn't speak, but his voice in the narration is so clear and lovely. Tiffany Hammond, the autor, is a Black autistic woman raising autistic sons, and her experience is clear from the loving and realistic way she wrote this story. Also, the artwork in this book by Kate Cosgrove is absolutely beautiful. Highly recommended for anyone with small children!
A Day With No Words is written from the perspective of a Black autistic boy as he goes about his day with his mom. He doesn't speak, but his voice in the narration is so clear and lovely. Tiffany Hammond, the autor, is a Black autistic woman raising autistic sons, and her experience is clear from the loving and realistic way she wrote this story. Also, the artwork in this book by Kate Cosgrove is absolutely beautiful. Highly recommended for anyone with small children!
May 6, 2023
This is such an amazing children’s book—I cannot recommend it enough! Tiffany Hammond does a phenomenal job depicting important themes related to autistic AAC users.
Tiffany is an autistic mother of two autistic sons and this book describes the affirming tradition she has fostered in her home in which one day a week, her family uses her son Aidan’s communication modality: AAC. In this book, she brings awareness to communication through AAC in a child-friendly way. This book is a perfect way to promote inclusion and accessibility to children and continue conversations about autism and disability.
Tiffany is an autistic mother of two autistic sons and this book describes the affirming tradition she has fostered in her home in which one day a week, her family uses her son Aidan’s communication modality: AAC. In this book, she brings awareness to communication through AAC in a child-friendly way. This book is a perfect way to promote inclusion and accessibility to children and continue conversations about autism and disability.
June 23, 2023
This was an excellent book. An engaging story, beautifully written in rhyming text, about Aidan, who is Black and Autistic and uses a tablet to communicate, and goes to the park with his mom, where they experience both the beauty of nature and the bigotry of humans. A great one for sharing in many different contexts.
Themes: Autism, Neurodiversity, Nature/Park, We're All the Same/We're All Different
age range: Toddler-Elementary
Themes: Autism, Neurodiversity, Nature/Park, We're All the Same/We're All Different
age range: Toddler-Elementary
June 2, 2023
I read this tonight with a Black autistic little one who was so entranced by the images and the story! We loved it so much!
July 21, 2023
Beautifully written and illustrated book about a nonverbal autistic child and his mother on a typical day, communicating with each other, overcoming cruelty, finding moments of joy and splendor.
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July 31, 2023
Beautiful - both the illustrations and the story.
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November 21, 2023crying again at work (sponsored by my upcoming sensory friendly storytime)
November 14, 2024
Before reading the book, I was unsure of what the young boy in the story would be dealing with. Usually, I'll read the synopsis before I read. It took me just a few pages in to realize that the young boy Aiden was autistic. The messages and ideas expressed in this book are so timely and important for parents of autistic children as well as the communities in which these children interact and develop their own identities.
I have a nephew that is on the spectrum and there are still things I don't understand about his behavior or his identity, but books like this help to break down those barriers. No child should feel abandoned, neglected, or mistreated because of their disabilities and different behaviors. It is just mere discrimination, but many times it's also plain ignorance. We have the ability to learn and embrace others, but, sometimes we choose not to.
I really enjoyed the images here from the illustrator. They worked so well with the message and words presented by the author. More books are necessary like this so we can become a world that understands and appreciates all types of individuals and how they go everyday into the world.
Parents of autistic children, please show this to your child because representation matters. Schools and other institutions show others that we can accept and be friends with anybody regardless of who or what they are.
5 stars
Thanks @rowhousepublishing for the gifted e-arc.
I have a nephew that is on the spectrum and there are still things I don't understand about his behavior or his identity, but books like this help to break down those barriers. No child should feel abandoned, neglected, or mistreated because of their disabilities and different behaviors. It is just mere discrimination, but many times it's also plain ignorance. We have the ability to learn and embrace others, but, sometimes we choose not to.
I really enjoyed the images here from the illustrator. They worked so well with the message and words presented by the author. More books are necessary like this so we can become a world that understands and appreciates all types of individuals and how they go everyday into the world.
Parents of autistic children, please show this to your child because representation matters. Schools and other institutions show others that we can accept and be friends with anybody regardless of who or what they are.
5 stars
Thanks @rowhousepublishing for the gifted e-arc.
May 11, 2023
This is a really beautiful story about a non-speaking autistic boy. I especially loved that it highlights his experience of autistic sensory joy without ignoring some of the painful aspects of being autistic. I strongly recommend it to everyone, but especially those with young kids. Let’s build a world where if we see a happy child flapping their hands, we all smile because we know it means they’re feeling joy.
May 15, 2023
This is a beautiful picturebook that I can't wait to use in storytime. The relationship between this mother and child is so sweet. Introducing the different ways people can communicate is so important to bringing true inclusion into society. The illustrations and the text work together extremely well and I really can't think more highly about a book.
May 28, 2023
I love this book! I’m a speech-language pathologist and I’m so happy to have a book in my classroom that reflects my AAC-using students, written by an Autistic mom of Autistic kids. I bought 5 as gifts and donations to libraries.
February 15, 2024
If you ever get a chance to read this, please do!!
February 20, 2024
the day in the life of an autistic child. this was eye opening. read it with my twin sons tonight, one of which is on the spectrum
March 29, 2025
4.5 stars. @Fidgets.and.Fries Author's call to action
May 9, 2023
Beautiful, the love for her son pours out of the pages.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 232 reviews