MY SON CAN’T SPEAK—BUT HIS SERVICE DOG UNDERSTOOD

In a routine hospital waiting room, Liam, a non-verbal boy who stopped speaking at three, sat with his service dog, Nova. Typically withdrawn in unfamiliar places, Liam surprised me by pulling Nova close, resting his head against her, and moving his lips silently against her fur. Nova, attuned to him, stilled and glanced at me, then pawed at Liam’s wheelchair pouch. Inside, I found his long-lost red toy car, a cherished item from before his

silence. Liam, fixated, took it and tapped it twice on his knee—a familiar gesture of excitement. Then Nova walked to the reception desk, placed her paw on the counter, and barked, as if signaling something significant. Their unspoken connection revealed a depth of understanding, turning a quiet moment into one of profound meaning.