Presuming competence was never meant to be conditional. Yet some approaches in our field are quietly recreating the same barriers we set out to dismantle. Families and educators are being told “not yet” when students seek new tools or pathways. This piece calls us back to our foundation: access first, always, and learning environments that adapt to the student—not the other way around.

Skills and strategies matter—but without trust, communication won’t happen. In this piece, Lisa Mihalich Quinn shares why the deepest trust in nonspeaking student communication isn’t just about feeling safe to share, but about knowing honesty will be met with real listening, reflection, and change.

For 15 years, I thought I was the teacher my nonspeaking autistic students needed. I was wrong. Not because I didn't care, but because the system failed to teach me that autism is linked to movement differences, not behavioral issues. I wish I'd understood nervous system regulation and presumed competence from day one. The training we need exists—it's time to make it accessible to every educator.