What is Spelling to Communicate?
In 2016, AALIVE was introduced to a communication method for non-speaking autistics.
As our mentor, Elizabeth Vosseller from Growing Kids Therapy Center, defines it:
"Spelling to Communicate teaches individuals with motor challenges the purposeful motor skills necessary to point to letters to spell as an alternative means of communication (AAC). The goal is to achieve synchrony between the brain and body. Skilled and rigorously trained communication partners teach purposeful motor skills using a hierarchy of verbal and gestural prompts. As motor skills improve through consistent practice, students progress from pointing to letters on letterboards to spell to typing on a keyboard. Accordingly, communication moves from concrete to abstract as motor skills progress."
We invite you to reach out to AALIVE to learn more about Spelling to Communicate or if you have any questions. AALIVE is proud to support our own center in Springfield, PA called Inside Voice. You can also find out more about Inside Voice here.
Some powerful words from our Inside Voice Spellers
Please help us to communicate our spelling to communicate (#S2C) family.
"We are non-speaking... not non-thinking"
“People want to be accepting but sometimes we have to teach them how to.”
What is something you treasure?
“I treasure the experience of the letterboard! Something I only hoped to experience. I am now finally able to communicate with the world.”
What is something that gets you excited?
“People said I don’t belong here. Now I show them what I can do. Nothing enjoys me like spelling. Thanks for changing my life.”
Success is…
“Teaching others to communicate and listen. And to be in control of their own body. I want to be the voice of the movement to free non-speaking autistics and help break their silence. They deserve to be heard.”
Tell me something you would like to invent.
“I would like to discover the secret to healing autism. That would be amazing. No one would think we were intellectually challenged ever again”
