Nonverbal child boards a school bus for the first time — whispers three words her dad's waited years to hear

A father documenting his daughter’s first school bus ride captured a moment he says he will never forget. In a TikTok video shared by David Dodge (@dad_with_me), he filmed his nonverbal daughter, Ivelisse, stepping onto a real school bus for the first time, a simple outing that unexpectedly turned into something much bigger. The clip shows Ivelisse smiling as she climbs aboard, clearly thrilled by the experience, as per PEOPLE on February 10.

As the bus rolled forward, Ivelisse leaned toward her dad, wrapped her arms around him, and whispered, "I love you." Dodge later told PEOPLE that the words were entirely unexpected. His daughter typically communicates through songs rather than conversational speech. "There was nothing that had ever prompted her to come up to one of us and say anything," he explained. "Let alone, 'I love you.'"

Ivelisse attends pre-K but had never ridden a real school bus before. Dodge said that buses have always fascinated her because of one familiar tune. "She loves seeing things come to life from what she watches on TV," he said, adding that "Wheels on the Bus" has long been her favorite song. The early learning event allowed children to explore real-life versions of things they usually only see on screen. When Ivelisse spotted the bus, Dodge said she was so excited. Once seated, he kept filming as she looked around, taking in the experience. "It was just so real for her," he said. As the ride continued, she turned to him and said the three words. "I melted," Dodge said, explaining that he tried to hold himself together so he would not interrupt her joy.

Research shows that communication milestones like spoken words can be particularly meaningful for families of autistic children, because a substantial portion of kids on the spectrum experience significant language challenges. According to a study done in 2013, about 30 % of children with autism spectrum disorder are minimally verbal or do not develop functional spoken language even with years of intervention, and many initially nonverbal children later acquire speech with evidence-based support. Another study published by the Kennedy Krieger Institute examined language development in children with autism who had severe language delays at age 4. Researchers found that about 70 % were using simple phrase speech by the age of 8, and nearly half (47%) became fluent speakers over time.

Viewers got emotional watching the video. @destryb.stylist said, "My 2.5 yo is speech delayed. I can't stop watching this." @mercys.pov added, "And those are those words she chose?! Oh man. I'm sure that was such a needed moment." Dodge had originally shared the clip as a way to document milestones his daughter could revisit one day. "One day it'll be her channel," he said, describing it as a living photo album. He also explained that he tries to focus on joy rather than hardship. "I try not to play the victim of a parent to an autistic child," he said. While the journey has challenges, he believes it is equally filled with moments worth celebrating.

Dodge hopes moments like this help challenge common assumptions. "Autism isn't what you think it is," he said, while also acknowledging that every child's experience is different and his daughter does not represent all autistic children. Fatherhood, he added, reshaped him. A military veteran, Dodge said that raising Ivelisse softened his once-rigid worldview. "I don't even think I knew what empathy was before her," he said. 

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