communication.
education.
empowerment.

Reach Every Voice is a practice of educators with decades of experience working with nonspeaking and minimally speaking autistic learners. Many of our staff are state-certified teachers. We provide direct instruction to teach individuals who are nonspeaking or have unreliable verbal abilities to express themselves with alternative communication. We also work with families and schools to help them collaboratively find ways to meet the needs of these students in their home and school learning environments.

meet our team

autism communication supports

Looking for our Accessible Academics Course?

find it here.

we can help.

An estimated 40 percent of autistic individuals

do not use spoken language reliably.

Our teachers have decades of experience providing real education to students with complex communication needs.

learn more

California Lutheran University Autism and Communication Center

Reach Every Voice collaborates with

praise from our families

What's in the REV Blog?

TJ works with his mother Tammy while at Reach Every Voice. Together, they read and discuss a lesson about Judy Heumann, disability rights activist. TJ responds by pointing to letters to spell the words he wants to say on a laminated board held by Tammy.

Raising the Bar: How Schools Shape Self-Belief in Nonspeaking Students

I always believed the limitations my school put on me. They were the experts. I didn’t know to question their judgement.

TJ Thompson

Mar 52 min read

Proficiency Is Not a Prerequisite: Removing Roadblocks & Ensuring Access for Nonspeaking Learners

Discover key insights from the webinar Proficiency is Not a Prerequisite, presented for the Maryland State Department of Education. Learn ho

Lisa Mihalich Quinn

Jan 303 min read

Collaborating with Autistic Clients and Students in Motor Learning

Learn how teamwork, personalized approaches, and input from autistic individuals can reduce stress, improve focus, and foster confidence in

Ingrid Ventura Ellis

Jan 162 min read

Lessons in Understanding: How My Autistic Students Made Me a Better Teacher

Discover how listening to nonspeakers transformed a teacher's perspective. Learn about the power of listening, understanding, and embracing

Anne Butler

Nov 26, 20243 min read

Stay Social with REV

So many of our students have what they call "unreliable" speech. They tell us that the words and sounds their mouths produce are not always reflective of what they truly want to be communicating in that moment.

People with verbal apraxia have difficulty planning and programming the moments required for purposeful speech. If you are someone who uses speech as their primary means of communication, chances are you've never thought about speech as a complex motor task.

Our student TJ has, though. And he's asking you to reflect on this.

"I want everyone in my world to list the tiny steps they take to speak. Like moving their tongues. Taming my speech feels a lot like that. Impossible to do."

[id: a photograph of TJ using a pencil to point to a letter on a letterboard held by his communication partner, Dalton.]

#apraxia #UnreliableSpeech #autism #ApraxiaOfSpeech #dyspraxia #PresumeCompetence #AugmentativeCommunication #CommunicationAccess #ReachEveryVoice

If we don't make it our default practice to presume competence in our students, we will likely - however unintentionally - restrict the opportunities we provide them.

Presuming competence and providing opportunities consistent with high expectations is the LEAST DANGEROUS ASSUMPTION. Why? Because how terrible would it be if we didn't presume competence and we were proven incorrect?

And yes, this applies to EVERYONE. We need to see ALL individuals as capable learners, no matter the extent of their support needs.

image id: a gray background with teal and gray paint streaks. On it is a reminder pop up with the words shared above.

#PresumeCompetence
#InclusiveEducation #RethinkAutism #SpecialEducation #InclusionWorks #Autism #SpecialEducationTeachers #Inclusion #NonspeakingDoesNotEqualNonThinking

We're big believers in multi-modal communication.

In addition to their keyboards and letterboards, our students may use their natural speech, an AAC device, sign, or even low-tech yes/no boards.

We're all multi-modal communicators - so why should we restrict our students to just one method of communication?

But we DO hold firm on the inclusion of an alphabet on AAC devices or a button on low-tech displays that says "I want my letterboard."

Why? While many basic wants and needs can be communicated in other ways, we all deserve access to a robust communication system that allows us to express our commentary, our observations, our jokes, and pretty much anything else we want to say.

Our student Ethan shares his perspective on why having access to a way to communicate beyond symbols is so important.

"Before I went to middle school, estimate that I spent six years trying really hard not to be autistic. My sweet, eager teachers asked me to point here or do this, apparently assuming that we could ABA the autism out of my body. I learned how to point so well, but what good does pointing do when the only things to point at are mostly symbols that show a vocabulary even a three year old would outgrow in a month?"

Teaching spelling and literacy to ALL students is crucial for true communication access. After all, having a keyboard means nothing if you've been denied real literacy instruction.

So TEACH IT, MODEL IT, USE IT. Make those 26 letters work for you!

[jd: a photo of Ethan as a 6th grader from above and behind. He is seated at a desk, typing on a keyboard that is connected to his iPad.]

#PresumeCompetence #26LettersInfinitePossibilities #spellers #LiteracyForAll #CommunicationChoice #MultimodalCommunication #education #inclusion #ReachEveryVoice

In her "Dear Teachers" post, our student Danielle points to the importance of focusing on helping students build real relationships through meaningful education and viewing them as multifaceted individuals.

In addition to sharing her words here, Danielle has an amazing YouTube channel, Reaching Danielle's Voice. We'd love to share it with you!
Comment "Danielle" and we'll send you the link.

Here are Danielle's thoughts for teachers:

"Dear Teachers,

Are you wanting to help get your students to live full life with good relationships or are you trying to get compliance for drills to check off boxes on a list? Please focus on real relationships. Change belief that people with autism can’t form real connections. We most of us value meaningful connections, not a series of memorized drills or facts that don’t matter to anyone. We love to learn, but not just compliance, getting more empty praise for doing what some misguided research from the dark ages tried to validate.

Yes, it's easy to measure number of words someone says or how many times they come to table right when asked to, but what was never truly discussed was how we feel and think and learn things that help contribute to meaningful education. Many schools missed looking at quality of life and emotional state as well as medical issues that might be impacting individuals, especially when we could not verbally discuss ailments. It’s important to listen and look at these things now and always."

[id: a gray background with bold white letters reading "Dear Teachers" above a cutout of Danielle, a young woman with long brown hair and a green shirt. She is wearing a LA baseball cap. Danielle's words are printed in white next to her. The words "listen to all voices" and the reach every voice website are at the top of the image]

#PresumeCompetence #InclusiveEducation #ReachEveryVoice #RethinkAutism #CommunicationAccess #ReachingDaniellesVoice

If you've been underestimated and misunderstood, showing up and trying new things can be incredibly intimidating.

When people have misinterpreted your communication or judged your intelligence, it can feel easier or safer to stick with what you know. With what's comfortable.

But Nick, like so many of our students, shows up every day and puts in the work to make changes in his life.

We think that's brave. And so does Nick. Here's what he has to say about bravery.

"I make decisions every day to have my body and my mind challenged. This might not look like bravery, but it is the bravest thing I do. Most days the safe thing would be to disappear into my iPad in a flurry of YouTube. It takes an active decision to face the challenge of controlling my mind and body each and every day. Don’t assume bravery requires bravado. Even the smallest step takes courage."

[id: a photo of Nick pointing to a letterboard held by Nikki, his communication partner. They are seated at a table in REV's classroom. The words Nick shared in the post are printed on the image in white text with teal accents.]

#bravery #PresumeCompetence #BrainBodyDisconnect #apraxia #autism #NonspeakingDoesNotEqualNonthinking #spellers #NonspeakingAutism #ReachEveryVoice

Unlock Literacy for Every Voice — Now at Your Own Pace!

We’re thrilled to announce the self-paced launch of our popular Phonics for Nonspeakers workshop! 🎉

Are you an educator, therapist, or caregiver working with nonspeaking or minimally speaking individuals who use AAC or other multimodal communication? This recorded workshop is designed just for you.

Join Miranda Cobo, a trained Orton-Gillingham instructor, as she guides you through a 6-part series blending structured literacy with practical, evidence-based strategies tailored to nonspeaking learners. Miranda’s expertise brings together Orton-Gillingham’s renowned approach and text-based AAC strategies, empowering you to help every learner find their voice.

What you’ll discover:

*Evidence-based techniques to teach phonics skills to nonspeakers
*Multi-sensory activities integrating visual, tactile, and auditory learning
*Practical ways to embed phonics into AAC systems and daily routines
*Insights to boost confidence and motivation in nonspeaking learners

Workshop Sessions:
*Defining Phonics & Phonological Awareness
*Beginning, Middle, and Ending Sounds
*Rhyming
*Word Patterns
*Applying Word Patterns
*Creating a Phonics Lesson

Leave with actionable plans, adaptable resources, and the inspiration to help every learner express their full potential.

Empower communication. Expand opportunity. Raise the bar for nonspeaking learners.

Ready to get started? Comment "phonics" on this post to access the self-paced workshop and join a community committed to communication, education, and empowerment for all.

#ReachEveryVoice #AAC #LiteracyForAll #PhonicsForNonspeakers #CommunicationAccess #PresumeCompetence

[id: A graphic for Reach Every Voice’s “Teaching Phonics to Nonspeakers” 6-module workshop. The image announces the self-paced option now available and highlights key benefits, such as evidence-based techniques, multi-sensory approaches, AAC integration, and building learner confidence. The design features a smiling instructor holding a letterboard and a laptop screen displaying phonics materials.]

Why are we sharing so many words and quotes from our students?

1) The world gets a LOT wrong about autism and autistic people. We're trying to share new perspectives.

2) The best way to learn is from autistic people themselves.

Nadia perfectly puts this into her own words.

"Quiet the received ideas you have about students who look and move like me. Really autism is an every sensory and ambient reality. Really who else knows except us?"

[id: a photograph of Nadia, wearing a green jacket, standing in a field of wildflowers. She feels the leaves between her fingers. Her words from post are shared in white text with red accents on the image.]

#autism #ActuallyAutistic #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs #LearnFromAutisticHumans

Augmentative and Alternative Communication can change lives. Access to a robust AAC system that includes the 26 letters of the alphabet AND skilled instruction in how to use that system is crucial to opening more doors to meaningful, inclusive education.

This post was created when Ethan was finishing high school. He’s now enrolled in college and still working hard to achieve his goals!

"Finally learning to type opened doors. Now I go to my local high school, take age-appropriate classes with other teenagers and earn straight As. My sights are set on attending college in the future."
Ethan Tucker, high school student

[id: Two people shoulder to shoulder. The communication partner/educator beams with pride for the young man sitting next to her. The words that he wrote are in white and overlay a portion of the image.]

#PresumeCompetence #NonSpeakingDoesNotEqualNonThinking #ReachEveryVoice #InclusionWorks #RethinkAutism #Autism

"Dear Teachers,

I'm going to ask all teachers to listen more to the words shared by autistic people themselves than by the behavior "experts" in big name hospitals and private schools. As someone who only barely survived these systems, I think my experiences should matter to both teachers and parents. I'm someone who always requires lots of support, but I deserve to decide what that support looks like. Independence is not always the highest good: autonomy always is."

Trevor Byrd
REV Student

[id: a gray background with bold white letters reading "Dear Teachers" above a cutout of Trevor, a young person with short red hair and a red beard. Trevor is wearing red ear defenders and a gray hoodie over a blue shirt. They are holding their letterboard. Trevor's words are printed in white next to them. The words "listen to all voices" and the reach every voice website are at the top of the image]
#PresumeCompetence #InclusiveEducation #ReachEveryVoice #RethinkAutism #CommunicationAccess #Autonomy

What a difference it makes in our mindset and our teaching when we presume competence in our students and embrace the understanding that what may look like "bad behavior" is quite possibly the response of a brain-body disconnect.

Our student Ethan Statter wrote these words to share about his experience of disconnection and struggle between his brain and body.

Hero or Villain

Oftentimes in life, people experience feeling like a villain and a hero. This is something I feel quite often. I am a villain to myself, when I can’t control my body.

The brain body disconnect I feel is real. It’s hard to describe.

Imagine an angel and a devil. The angel is my brain telling me everything I want and need to do. The devil is my body losing control and taking over.

Imagine what this daily battle feels like, when you know right from wrong.

My brain is the hardest working part of my entire being. I gear up for the war against my body each day, wondering if they will ever agree.

The angel has to win.

I have to love my body but how can I when it’s in a constant battle against me. Who am I? Am I my brain or my body? I’m tired of being torn in two.

I need to give myself grace. The grace to succeed and permission to love myself, even in moments of weakness.

Notes from Ethan: I was inspired to write this poem when my brain and body were not cooperating with one another. The challenges nonspeaking autistic humans face can be tough. At times our bodies don't match our thoughts. Hence the devil and angel comparison. The brain body disconnect is something I write about frequently because it is misunderstood. I know the others in this community can relate. We have to stick together.

[id: a photograph of Ethan sitting with his arms and legs crossed, chin resting on his hands. He is gazing toward the ground. Some words from Ethan's portion of the caption are printed on the photo in white text with teal accents.]

#BrainBodyDisconnect #PresumeCompetence #apraxia #dyspraxia #autism #NonspeakingDoesNotEqualNonthinking #spellers #ReachEveryVoice

Rather than claiming to be a "voice for the voiceless" or speaking over nonspeaking advocates, let's take a moment to amplify the advocacy work being done by nonspeaking and minimally speaking autistic individuals who also have high support needs, people who may at one point or another in their lives have been referred to as "severely autistic" or "profoundly autistic."

Nick has spent years of focused effort building his communication skills and now works to be a loud advocate to share his lived experiences with a wider audience. In this series of Nick's Tips, he shares 5 ways to be respectful of nonspeaking people.

We hope you'll share with everyone!

Nick's Tips: advice from a nonspeaking autistic guy.
5 ways to be respectful of nonspeaking people

1: Forget everything you think you know about autism unless you learned it from an autistic person.

2: Remember that autistic people can look like they aren't listening but may actually hear everything you say. (Unless they tune you out because you're boring or insulting)

3: You don't need to talk louder. Or slower. Or as if I'm a baby.

4: Right the wrongs you might have done. Say you’re sorry to folks you underestimated.

5: Learn from as many autistic folks as humanly possible.

[id: 7 light teal slides that include the five tips shared above as well as a cover that reads, "Nick's Tips: advice from a nonspeaking autistic guy. 5 ways to be respectful of nonspeaking people" and a closing slide reminding folks to engage with this post to increase the reach of Nick's words.]

Hashtags used for visibility, not endorsement.

#Autism #ActuallyAutistic #Advocacy #NonspeakingAutism #NonSpeakingDoesNotEqualNonThinking #PresumeCompetence #NicksTips #ReachEveryVoice #ProfoundAutism #NonverbalAutism #SevereAutism

What happens when we only provide praise for "doing work" and being productive?

What about when we try to mold children's play into something that looks like what we think it *should* look like?

One thing that happens is that we shape our students into humans who have a hard time understanding that relaxation and play are worthy endeavors, and they only find self-worth when they are busy or meeting demands set by another person.

Another thing that happens is that we fail to acknowledge that play exists in lots of forms. Play, by its very nature, is meant to be fun. And when we start telling our students how to play, we most definitely are taking the fun out of it.

And just like that, we're back where we began, reinforcing the idea that the only way to earn praise and feel worth is by doing things the way that someone else suggests we should.

Our student Nick shares about his experience trying to find enjoyment as a young student and his recognition that we all deserve to play in the ways we choose.

"In my school years, I struggled to do fun things and not feel guilty.
My little life centered on task lists. Doing your work earned the highest praise.
Hard to enjoy downtime if you are never told that how you play is okay.
People play in lots of strange ways.
Everyone deserves to have fun.
Find what brings you joy and celebrate it."

[id: a photo of Nick standing side by side with Elmo, who is wearing a skeleton costume. Nick is grinning. His words from the caption are shared on top of the photo in white text with red accents.]

#ActuallyAutistic #AutisticPlay #PlayIsImportant #FindYourJoy #ReachEveryVoice #autism

Many well-meaning people (family, teachers, behaviorists) completely misunderstand the behaviors of autistic individuals, and it often leads to people giving up.

Challenging behaviors are often seen as volitional defiance ("he refuses to sit," "she won't do what I asked") and can lead to teachers or parents saying, "That's it. I'm done. If they don't want to do it, we're not doing it."

It sometimes pushes people to the opposite extreme - the power struggle, the "we're going to sit here until you do this!" or the idea that you have to just finish the thing you said you were going to do (a page, three math problems).

Instead of continuing with our agenda or giving up, we - as parents, teachers, and communication partners - need to listen to and respect feelings of anxiety and dysregulation.

Certain "behaviors" are actually coping responses. In her book, Beyond Behaviors, Mona Delahooke writes, "we fail to recognize that many behaviors represent the body response to stress." They're ways of compensating for and dealing with a body that experiences sensory and motor differences.

We need to remember that our students don't want to give us a hard time, they're HAVING a hard time.

image ID: a two-tone teal graphic of a speech bubble. The words printed on top say, "We need to stop assuming that we know the real motivations behind the individual actions of people who don't have a reliable way to communicate.

@monadelahooke
#presumecompetence
#coregulationbeforeregulation
#regulation
#strengthsbasedapproach
#beyondbehaviors
#communicationaccess

We're about 2/3 of the way through April, recognized widely as #AutismAwarenessMonth / #AutismAcceptanceMonth, and we want to take a minute to remind everyone that amplifying autistic voices and reconsidering the spaces we're creating should continue every day, every month.

Our student Ryan reflects on this month:

I want to acknowledge this month and how my ability as a non-speaker can teach others.

I am a human just like all of you. I have a beautiful incredible mind that is capable of so much.

I want to show the world how my brain works. Really trying to dig down deep and find the understanding myself.

I have learned to grow in a world where I am misunderstood. I am asking others to give me the same space and grow with me.

I want to live in a world where spelling or typing to communicate is the norm. I want it to be authentically accepted in every area of my life.

I want others to find the right communication partner to work with.

I want to build real relationships with others in this community.

I need to be seen and understood always, not just this month.

[id: a photo of Ryan on a beach with trees behind him. The sunlight is hitting his face as he looks pensively up toward the sky. His words, "I have learned to grow in a world where I am misunderstood. I am asking others to give me the same space and grow with me." are printed on the image to the left of his face in white letters with blue accents.]

#PresumeCompetence #AccessibleSpaces #ReachEveryVoice #ActuallyAutistic

Ethan focuses on the idea of presuming competence in his "Dear Teachers" post.

He shares,

"Dear Teachers,

Talking at me and down to me isn't cool. I have working ears and a very smart brain. Trust in my abilities."

Ethan Tucker
REV Student

[id: a gray background with bold white letters reading "Dear Teachers" above a cutout of Ethan, a young man with short brown hair. The words "listen to all voices" and the reach every voice website are at the top of the image]

#PresumeCompetence #InclusiveEducation #ReachEveryVoice #RethinkAutism #CommunicationAccess

There have been a lot of questions / comments in different groups asking if text-based communication (spelling, pointing, typing) is really a good option if individuals use their natural speech in ways others perceive as “functional.”

Nick’s lived experience is crucial to understanding why we need to introduce AAC / other forms of communication to folks who may appear at first glance to have no need for assistive tech.

In a blog that includes the words in this post, Nick writes,
Have you ever had a word or song stuck in your head?

It isn’t that you want to look at a new car but you can’t stop singing the Cars 4 Kids jingle. You both don’t want a new credit card and don’t intend to change banks but you can’t stop hearing, “what’s in YOUR wallet?”

Chances are anyone who heard you humming or decrying the stuckness of the jingle just empathized with your frustration and continued to speak to you as usual.
This is not the case if you are autistic.

My brain and speech are stuck in a continuous loop of repeating scripts from cartoons I watched as a kid. I can’t stop my mouth. I’m scripting dumb Thomas the Tank words as I type this.

I am getting rather tired of people hearing my repeated scripts and assuming I don’t really understand.

The truth is I don’t care about trains but I had the bad luck of hearing these catchy shows when my brain was young and malleable.

My speech goes beyond what I think of as unreliable. To me it is reliably annoying.
Until I learned to type my thoughts the whole world believed my capacity to think and learn was far gone. Now that I can show otherwise my life is becoming more full.

My point is that my collection of sayings and songs has probably kept people from believing I am smart.

Until someone has a way to really communicate, take their scripts in stride and speak to them like they understand everything you say"

[id: a photo of Nick from behind, typing on a bluetooth keyboard hooked up to his iPad. Some of his words from the caption are shared on the post.]

#PresumeCompetence #NonspeakingDoesNotEqualNonthinking #spellers #ReachEveryVoice #RethinkAutism

Do we listen to the voices of our students when they tell us about their lived experiences?

It can be hard as a professional to reflect on something you've done for a long time because you thought it was best practice.

But what happens when those "best practices" aren't informed by the voices and experiences of those who lived through them?

Is it enough to say "I was doing what I thought was best based on the information I had" or do we owe apologies to those we may have harmed? Do we need to acknowledge that there may still be lingering emotional distress even years afterwards?

While we really believe that when you know better, you need to do better, we also believe that it's important to acknowledge any harm we've caused, no matter how unintentional.

Trevor, one of our students, shares this reflection about their experience with Applied Behavior Analysis.

"I don't like how the whole premise [of ABA] was to be less autistic. I'm human and my needs should be accommodated, not repressed. Don't think ABA companies should be funded by insurance. I felt so mad all the time. I didn't want to do the dumb drills. Touch your nose. Clap your hands. Do this. I can't completely describe how awful it was to continuously interfere with my real actual intelligent thoughts to try to make my body do whatever pointless action some idiot with a clipboard asked me to do."

[id: a photo of Trevor wearing a hoodie and black earphones, staring toward their hands. Their words are in white text written over part of the image.]

#RethinkAutism #PresumeCompetence #ReachEveryVoice #autistic #autism #LivedExperienceMatters #NonspeakingAutism #NonverbalAutism #SpecialEducation #SpecialEducators #AppliedBehavioralAnalysis

One of the biggest misconceptions we find when working with folks who are just learning about text-based communication is that all it should take for a student to be able to communicate is providing the right piece of technology (why can't she just use the talking keyboard?) or just placing a board in front of them (why won't he spell when I put the board in front of him?)

These questions inform how we provide training and support to schools. But that school has to be invested in the training.

Sometimes, they say some version of "Sure, you can have a letterboard / keyboard. Just pick it up and use it."

That statement tells us we have more work to do educating about why a student can't necessarily just pick up a board or type on a laptop.

They need
* training that includes a foundation in presuming competence and using strengths-based language.
* to understand apraxia & the brain-body disconnect.
* to understand the importance of building a balanced relationship between student & support staff.
* to learn how & when to prompt a student's movement, eyes, posture, attention - and when to fade those prompts.
* to learn how to adapt academic assignments to make them accessible in different ways without losing their grade-level integrity.

It's SO much more than just holding up a board.

As our student TJ writes, "I’m pleading for my right to communicate with someone trained to support me. Would you give a Deaf student interpreters who don’t really know ASL? Just like knowing how to finger spell doesn’t mean you can sign, holding a board up doesn’t mean you can support my communication."

For this sort of comprehensive training, we recommend Communication for Education. We are partners and have worked with around 300 educators, direct support providers, parents, administrators, and related service professionals.

[id: a photo of TJ, a young man with dark, shoulder length hair and glasses, seated pointing to letters on a board held by his communication partner, Lisa, who is standing next to him. TJ's words from the post are printed in white text with blue accents.]

#spellers #PresumeCompetence #NonspeakingAutism #CommunicationIsAHumanRight #CommunicationAccess

Nadia's message to teachers touches on her hopes for a future where things change for autistic students.

She shares with us,

"Dear Teachers,

Your perception of my actions were fruitless. Over and over my wish of doing things right vanished. Hope: you get to change that with wisdom."

[id: a gray background with bold white letters reading "Dear Teachers" above a cutout of Nadia, a young woman with shoulder length dark hair. Nadia's words are printed in white next to her. The words "listen to all voices" and the reach every voice website are at the top of the image]

#PresumeCompetence #InclusiveEducation #ReachEveryVoice #RethinkAutism #CommunicationAccess

Everyone should have the right and opportunity to refuse or decline as part of their agency in making daily choices, providing input, and having dissenting opinions.

A refusal to communicate is also communication. It is crucial to teach students refusal strategies. It's equally important to honor a refusal. We need to ask ourselves why we often demand compliance from nonspeaking students when we wouldn’t do the same with their nondisabled peers.

How do you teach and honor refusal strategies to your nonspeaking students?

"My life has been full of situations when I have said “no” and the person has not listened, whether it was my mom, my sister, a teacher, or a friend. I am too often ignored because I cannot communicate traditionally. I instead have to rely on someone to stop and ask permission before I can say “no.”

Remember friends, just because I can’t say “no,” does not mean I want all the things. Please let me decide if I want a hug or that second helping at dinner. And remember that “ no means no,” not just for boys but for everyone."
- Nathan Chang, high school student

[image id: image shows a black and white photo of a high school boy, wearing headphones and smiling at the camera. Nathan's words from above are shared on the photo.]

#AugmentativeCommunication #AutismAwarenessAndAccesptance #AutismAwarenessMonth #autism #autismacceptance #ActuallyAutistic #AutismAwareness #AugmentativeAndAlternativeCommunication #MultimodalCommunication #nonspeakingdoesnotequalnonthinking #NonspeakingAutism #InclusiveEducation #SpecialEducation #apraxia #NonverbalAutism #PresumeCompetence #RethinkAutism

Have you ever had to have someone pull you out of your internet rabbit hole, candy crush marathon, or instagram scroll spiral? It's easy to lose track of ourselves when we're on autopilot and not engaging in purposeful action.

For many of our students, watching shows or clips from childhood can function in the same way. It might be an escape from reality, a motor loop they get stuck in, a way to regulate their bodies while they think about other things.

It's easy to make the assumption when we see someone watching a kid show that this reflects their actual interest. It might. We know lots of adults whose interests reflect things they loved as children.

But it also might just be a compulsion that's really, really hard to stop.

Next time you see this in action, check your assumptions. Whether it's an actual interest or a compulsion, the act of watching a show or movie geared toward children doesn't mean a person's intelligence is limited to the age of the intended audience.

Our student Aulton shares his thoughts and his experience with this topic.

"I have a compulsion to watch a silly stupid baby show. I can't control it unless someone intervenes. in public people think less of my intellectual level, causing false ideas about my capacity to learn, understand and ultimately communicate."

[id: a photo of Aulton, a young man with brown hair who stares seriously at the camera. It shares the words of his quote in white text. The image is highlighted by red accents.]

#PresumeCompetence
#apraxia
#dyspraxia
#RethinkAutism
#autism
#spellers
#ReachEveryVoice
#SpecialEducation
#education
#teachers

Every time we post about inclusion, the comments invariably include folks suggesting that "specialized" programs and schools actually offer a better learning environment for disabled students.

We always take time to acknowledge that the current situation in many schools is that inclusion isn't being supported, but we also reiterate that doesn't mean that inclusion doesn't work. It doesn't negate all that we know about the benefits of inclusion from research and practice.

Most importantly, conversations about inclusion need to center and amplify the voices of those who have been segregated in their educational environments or who are at risk of being excluded.

We've posted before about the dangers associated with segregated environments (see our blog post: Is Inclusion "dangerous"?) including both physical and emotional safety.

And here, Ethan, a nonspeaking autistic student, highlights one of those specific dangers in his experience from his childhood:

"Once, I was left on a special ed bus and no one noticed for hours. Do you think that would've happened if I'd been allowed to ride with my peers?"

We need to keep listening to and amplifying voices and experiences like these.

[id: a photo of Ethan using a chest press machine at the gym. He is wearing a purple Montgomery College t-shirt. The words from his quote above are printed in white with blue accents.]

#InclusionWorks #EveryoneBelongs #InclusiveEducation #PresumeCompetence #education #SpecialEducation #autism #NonspeakingAutism #spellers #teachers #educators

Reed continues our Dear Teachers series with her perspective on what she'd like educators to know.

"That is very true, most teachers don't know what we're capable of so they give us busy work which is very insulting because we have normal intelligence."

Reed
REV Student

[id: a gray background with bold white letters reading "Dear Teachers" above a cutout of Reed, a young woman with shoulder-length brown hair and a blue shirt. Reed's words are printed in white next to her. The words "listen to all voices" and the reach every voice website are at the top of the image]

#DearTeachers #PresumeCompetence #CommunicationAccess #ReachEveryVoice #NonSpeakingDoesNotEqualNonThinking #InclusiveEducation #AutismEducation

How do we, as educators and parents, talk about our students if we assume they aren't listening or don't understand us?

Do we really say things that are in their best interests?

How does what we say change when we assume they ARE listening and DO understand us?

"I'm always listening. Don't let the big headphones confuse you. Please don't talk about me in front of me. If I talked about you in front of you the way you sometimes talk about me, you wouldn't like it."
Trevor Byrd, high school student

[id: A smiling person in front of their garage. They are wearing red headphones and are splitting wood with an ax. Trevor's words from above are in white text over a portion of the picture.]

#AutismAwarenessMonth #autism #AutismAwareness #MultimodalCommmunication #nonspeakingautism #InclusiveEducation #specialeducation #apraxia #NonverbalAutism #PresumeCompetence #ReachEveryVoice

We're resharing MORE of Nick's Tips! Why? Because they're so freaking important.

We're so grateful to continue learning from his experience and wise words.

So many teachers and parents struggle with challenging behaviors. Nick's advice both makes a big impact and offers suggestions for little changes to make right away.

In the post, Nick mentions notes from Communication for Education. We hope you'll follow them and learn more about their training options.

He also mentions the accounts of some nonspeakers and asks for you to share your faves in the comments. Let's create a giant resource post of people we can learn from!

Here they are...

Cover: Nick's Tips: advice from a nonspeaking autistic guy
Suggestions for dealing with challenging behavior

1: Stop assuming all behaviors are purposeful. Easier to interrupt them when the understanding of all involved is that I’m having trouble, not causing trouble.

2: Get curious: Good to keep an open mind to see the entirety of me as a human rather than a subject to be analyzed.

3: Change your language: You may not think it matters if you call me aggressive or say I have aggressive behaviors. But it does. Instead, learn to say I’m experiencing dysregulation.

4: Learn about apraxia. The brain-body disconnect is real and impacts many folks who are assumed to be aggressive.

5: Do a deep dive into understanding our nervous system. Lots of good notes relating to this in Communication for Education’s amazing course.
@CommunicationForEducation

6: Follow more nonspeaking autistic voices. Share what you learn so others can become better informed. @trevor_types @etypes2023 @jordynbzim @ethan_statter @cl.lunn.art @bellamaya17 @dannywithwords

7: Was this post helpful?

[a series of 8 slides offering Nick's Tips: Advice from a nonspeaking autistic guy. suggestions for dealing with challenging behavior. Descriptions from the slides are too long for this post, so they will be captured in the comments.]

#NonspeakingAutistics #Nonspeakers #NonspeakingAutism #NonspeakingDoesNotEqualNonthinking #dysregulation #regulation #apraxia #BrainBodyDisconnect #NicksTips #ReachEveryVoice

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