My son is 8 and on the spectrum. His language has been improving but he is still technically considered non-verbal as he can’t really communicate or hold a conversation.

He got written up for saying, actually *shouting* “fuck” to his friend three times. It was done in play, not a negative reaction, and he doesn’t actually know what it means. His words aren’t super clear but his teacher had a talk with him and concluded that he did indeed say “fuck”. She told him it was not a nice word, asked him to apologize, and to not say it anymore. Poor kiddo started crying at that!

Not ideal, but it does show some unconventional progress in his language skills! Even his reaction to getting in trouble shows he’s understanding more and more every day.