How Non-Verbal ASD Poet Hélène Nicolas Speaks Volumes

The story of Hélène Nicolas is one that both inspires and informs.  

Born in rural France, Hélène’s autism diagnosis kept her out of formal schooling. However, it wasn’t until she was 20 years old that she discovered a way to communicate with others, thanks to her mother Véronique Truffert's relentless search for connection. Véronique discovered that Hélène could arrange laminated letters placed on a table in front of her.  And that’s when everything changed.

From Silence to Poetry

Hélène soon began telling stories, letter by letter, about her thoughts and her feelings and her life, and she began writing poetry under the nom de plume Babouillec Sp (“sans-parole”, or “non-verbal”). Her words now fill the pages of collections of poetry, including Algorithme éponyme (2013), and have inspired a stage show that charts the course of her life.

In 2017, director Julie Bertuccelli released the documentary Latest News from the Cosmos, which told Hélène’s story and was nominated for a César Award, the French equivalent of the Oscars. The Hollywood Reporter praised the film as “an absorbing portrait of human creativity. Inspirational and informative. If ever there was a movie warning us not to judge a book by its cover, this is the one.”

Optism reached out to Hélène and, using her unique mode of communication (with her mother’s translations from French), conducted the following interview:

Can we talk a little about how you learned to write and how you have developed your writing skills?

 I learned to read my brain. I was born with this singular equipment of knowledge. I didn't go through any didactic learning, just that of resonating with myself. To transcribe my thoughts, I learned to navigate the space of an alphabet in cardboard and cut-out letters.

What were the circumstances surrounding the discovery that you could communicate this way?

 It came through chance and work. I lacked connection with the material and my body cannot show my knowledge outside of writing. There was a lot of work organizing this body so that it could grasp an alphabet and take the chance to discover my aptitude with written language.

How might you describe your experience of life before you found this way to communicate?

I live in a happy family environment. Our relationships go beyond words, but this limits communication with other people. Communicating with me meant taking me by the hand, following my steps, taking care of my body, guessing my needs. My reactions were laughter, tears, screams, self-harm.

Can you describe how you felt when you became able to share your thoughts with other people?

Before communicating, I played talking in my head or telling myself stories from this weird world. It took time. Translating my thoughts didn't make sense to me. I understood this sense of exchange by writing poetry that lines my mind. I was afraid of being mistaken for a UFO, but mom immediately loved my words and freed me from this mental burden. Gradually, I slipped into the exchange for the other. I like discussing complex subjects, meeting word lovers, and above all surprising the "intelligent idiots".

What sort of treatment and support systems have you and your family made use of in France, and what is the situation there for the ASD community in general?

I live with my mother. It’s a choice for my writing work and for thinking about an autonomous living system.  I have an allocation of eight hours of autonomy rights, which is insufficient.   In France, being autistic with autonomy difficulties, only an institution is offered to you or the volunteering support of your family. Mental disability is considered to be confining. All innovative initiatives are supported by family associations. In France, we are very late in terms of this work. There is a lack of places, lack of AVS for schools, professionals poorly trained in autism, and few specialized establishments.

What is your favorite word and why is it your favorite word?

Are there other struggles that you have overcome that you’d like to share?

 I have overcome emotional disorders with crises and self-harm by inviting laughter and learning my body within its limits. I am light years away from bodily matter, but with mom and my companions, I do a centering exercise and it works.

What are the messages you want to share with the ASD community?

I am happy in my life to have encountered the cultural environment, and living in the countryside is beneficial for me.