Inspiring Nonspeaking Adult: Jakob Jordan

If you’re a parent like me—raising an autistic nonspeaker or minimal speaker—you know how rare it is to see someone like our kids living out joyful, milestone-filled adult lives on social media.

That’s why I need you to get on social media right now and follow Jakob Jordan and his inspirational mom, Jenn.

Jakob is 23-year-old man with apraxia who became open as a Speller about two years ago. Since then, he’s:

• Starred in the world premiere of a groundbreaking opera.
• Been cast in the lead role of a feature film.
• Appeared on stage with his best friend Andrew to educate people about the role of apraxia in autism and the importance of text-based communication like Spell2Communicate.
• Launched an Etsy shop where he sells his own art and greeting cards.
• Had his cards placed for sale in retail stores

Those things are crazy impressive, right? But as a mom, I’m even more impressed with what Jakob did a couple of weeks ago.

He went on his first date.

A date!

Let that sink in.

How poetic, after RFK Jr. declared not long ago that autistic people (who he later clarified to mean severely autistic people like Jakob and our kids) would never go out on a date. While I’m happy about the potential research into apraxia and PANS that could come from the MAHA movement, I couldn’t help but pump my fist and give a “hell yeah, take THAT” because they're wrong about the dating part.

Jakob didn’t just go on a date—he planned it, communicated through it, navigated his nerves and walked away with his head held high. If you don’t have a child like ours, maybe you don’t fully understand the magnitude of that. But if you do? You know. You feel it.

Trust me, when you read Jenn’s posts about this date, you’ll feel her terror when Jakob becomes dysregulated in a restaurant and triumphant when she’s able to pivot and support him. 

As a mom, I treasure Jakob and Jenn’s social media posts. They don’t just give me hope. They make me believe again. Families like ours are usually living in crisis and survival mode. Inspiration is in short supply.

But every now and then, we get a glimpse of what this journey can look like.

I think about how he spelled to his date: “I am a chill guy. What do you like to do? How can I make you feel comfortable?” His words were kind, sincere, and vulnerable. And when his speech—made unreliable by apraxia—tried to interfere, he had already said what mattered.

Another line that gave me chills? "I am an artist and an actor." Nothing about autism. Just talent and identity and pride. I mean, what a flex. Girls dig actors!

This is the future I want for my own son. To express thoughts, make memories, and build relationships based on truth—not assumptions.

So thank you, Jakob, for showing us what’s possible. And thank you, Jenn, for showing the rest of us how to get there.

You can follow Jakob @Cards by Jakob on Facebook and Instagram, and you can purchase his work here:  https://www.etsy.com/shop/CardsbyJakob

If you're curious how Jakob learned to communicate, check out Autistically Inclined. My son adores founder Julie Sando Johnston and her team, who provide excellent remote S2C training and host summer camps for nonspeakers and their families.

With so much admiration,
Heather