Mother tattoos keyboard on arm to help nonverbal autistic son communicate

When Hunter's augmentative communication tablet died while they were out to eat, his mother Jessica Fletcher saw the need for a non-technical fallback. She arranged for a tattoo artist to place a full keyboard, including happy and sad faces, on her forearm. Hunter's first word after seeing the tattoo was "Mama," and he now uses the inked keys to point out his wants, avoiding the loud voice output of his device.

The concept quickly spread online, garnering millions of likes and prompting other parents to request similar tattoos or keyboard-design shirts for their children. Fletcher has partnered with a clothing brand to produce sleeve-length keyboard shirts for schoolmates, and tattoo artists worldwide have offered free inkings to support autistic families. She describes the tattoo as a lifeline that lets her and her son communicate quietly and effectively.