A mother said in a TikTok video that she believed her young son’s talking tablet had been taken at school. Jayda Raylyn Oliva, who posts as @raylynjaydaoliva, sat in her car and appeared to struggle to hold back tears as she described the device as the main way her nonverbal child communicates. She said her son has level 3 autism and other genetic conditions. She stated that the family had spent more than eight months customizing the AAC device for him and that it was “his one way” of communicating. The video, which she said had reached 1.5 million views, showed her wiping her eyes while explaining how hard they had worked to get the tablet for school. “We worked so hard, and for someone to steal it is just so sad. And I’m really angry right now because we worked so hard to get my son’s tablet for him for school because he’s nonverbal,” Oliva said. She added that it was insured through his doctor and that an AAC device is not something people receive “just for anything.” She stated she went into the school and looked everywhere but could not find it, and that she did not know what to do. School emails to parents led to the tablet being found in a backpack In a follow-up video on TikTok, Oliva said she had good news and held up a large black tablet. She stated that something was still missing from it but that a parent had apologized and said they would look for the missing piece. She called the AAC device her son’s voice and said it was very expensive after months of customization. @ ♬ – She said she thought she would have to start the setup process over. Oliva stated she planned to call the company to unlock the tablet, add a tracking app, and possibly glue a tracker inside so it could not be removed. She noted that a speech therapist had already secured a stylus so it could not be broken off easily. @ ♬ – In a third TikTok video, Oliva said a student took the tablet from a hallway and put it straight into a backpack. She stated the student did not return it after an announcement at school. She said the school also sent emails to parents, and that is how it was found: a parent looked through their child’s bag. Oliva said the other mother was very sorry and that they had a good conversation with no excuses. She stated those parents were educating their child about medical equipment and how special-needs students can bring sensory items and talking tablets. She suggested the student may have taken it after wondering why another child could bring a tablet when they could not bring theirs. @ ♬ – She explained that the device is a medical tablet her son uses to speak, not a fun tablet. Oliva said the parents planned to have their student write a letter, which she noted would be more for her because her son is 3. She added that she had turned the tablet on and left it on the charger while waiting for the company to unlock it, and that she was praying nothing had been changed in a major way. For families, the loss of a communication device is one challenge; navigating public spaces with an autistic child can present others, as when a woman claimed Starbucks staff threatened to call 911. According to Cortica, AAC, or augmentative and alternative communication, refers to tools that help a person communicate when speaking is difficult or not developed. High-tech AAC often includes tablet-based speech-generating devices that speak words when symbols or text are selected. Families typically work with a speech-language pathologist to customize the system. Mastering AAC systems is a long journey, like an Indiana mom who years later was left speechless by her autistic son’s progress. Viewers focused on who should replace the device and how hard AAC tools are to obtain. One commenter said they thought the tablet counted as a medical device and that the school was responsible for it, adding that the same thing happened to a nephew and the school had insurance to replace it. Another person pointed to how far some schools go when something goes missing and wrote, “Girl, my son’s school searched everyone’s book bag for a dumpling! Get that school to assist you!!!” Several people stressed the cost and the wait. One commenter said it is so hard to get an AAC device and that they are thousands of dollars, then added, “I’m so sorry.. i hope you find it or the company replaces it.” Someone suggested the school send a notice so families could check bags at home. Another commenter said their son has an unused AAC tablet that works fine and offered to mail it. A person who identified as a special education advocate said the school district should provide a device, replace it, maintain it, and pay for needed apps. They offered templates and help writing an email if Oliva wanted it.