Text-based AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) is any form of communication where the user generates language by selecting letters, words, or symbols to spell out their thoughts. "Multimodal" means a learner uses more than one mode of communication, which most people do: speech, gesture, facial expression, writing, typing, pointing, and sign all coexist for fluent communicators. For nonspeaking and partially speaking learners, text-based modalities (letterboards, keyboards, eye-gaze devices, speech-generating devices with text) become primary or essential modes. REV teaches text-based AAC, sometimes in conjunction with symbol-based AAC as a part of a larger multimodal communication system. We teach students to use letterboards, stencils, keyboards, AAC devices, and other tools to spell out their thoughts, with the goal of building reliable, increasingly fluent communication. We do not affiliate with or represent any specific named methodology, including Spelling to Communicate (S2C), Spellers Method, Rapid Prompting Method (RPM), or others. Our team includes credentialed special educators, and our leadership holds advanced certifications in assistive technology, including Assistive Technology Applied Certificate Program (ATACP) training through the CSUN Center on Disabilities. Our instructional approach draws on decades of research and practice across motor learning, structured literacy, communication partner training, assistive technology, and individualized instruction. We are aware that some named methodologies are subject to professional debate. We are also aware that the families who come to us are not interested in methodology debates: they want their children to communicate. Our work focuses on what helps each individual learner build reliable communication, regardless of which named program a family or learner has previously encountered.

This is one of the most common objections nonspeaking families face, and the framing of the objection is itself worth examining. A few things to know: The "evidence-based" framing is more complicated than it sounds. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) has issued position statements expressing concerns about specific named methodologies. Those position statements are not the same as a determination that text-based AAC is not evidence-based. Text-based AAC is a category, not a methodology. Letterboards and keyboards are tools, like pencils or speech-generating devices. The evidence base for AAC tools is robust. The "evidence-based" standard is also applied selectively. A great deal of widely accepted school practice does not meet the standard critics apply to letterboards. For our response to the "letterboards aren't evidence-based" objection, including a list of widely accepted school practices that meet the same standard, see our page on letterboard practices and the evidence. Your student's right to communicate is a civil rights issue, not a methodological one. Under IDEA, students have the right to access the general education curriculum. Under the ADA and Section 504, students have the right to effective communication. Schools cannot refuse to allow a student to use a communication tool that the student demonstrates the ability to use, and they cannot require that the student demonstrate independent use as a precondition for being heard. Practical responses for IEP meetings and school conversations: Ask the school to specify which evidence-based practice they are following, and how it serves your nonspeaking student's communication access. Request that the team review your child's existing communication record (videos, samples, prior assessments). Frame your request as access to communication, not as endorsement of a specific methodology. For families navigating active disputes, our consultation services include IEP support, and we provide expert witness services for due process hearings. Contact us at info@reacheveryvoice.org to discuss your situation.

REV's pricing reflects what it costs to do this work well. A few things drive the rates: Trained communication partners. Our staff complete extensive ongoing training in text-based AAC, motor support, regulation, and adapted academic instruction. This is not a credential you can pick up in a weekend. Low instructor-to-student ratios. One-on-one sessions and small-group programs require staffing that group-based or curriculum-based services do not. Ongoing professional development. Our staff engage in regular continuing education, peer consultation, and methodology updates. Adapted materials. Lessons are built and adapted by trained staff, not pulled off a shelf. Sustainability. REV has been doing this work for over a decade. Our pricing supports a viable, ongoing service rather than a venture-backed model that disappears when funding shifts. We know pricing is a barrier for many families. REV AccessAbility, our 501(c)(3) arm, works to make our offerings more accessible by providing scholarships for training programs and pursuing grant funding to subsidize specific initiatives like our Communication Partner Skill Building Intensive. Current open scholarships for Communication for Education courses are listed on the CFE scholarships page. We are also vendored with several state ESA and scholarship programs. If cost is a barrier, contact us at info@reacheveryvoice.org; we can discuss what options may apply to your situation.