Beyond Apraxia: Catatonia Thanks to the increasing presence of neurodivergent self-advocates and their willingness to share their lived experiences, understanding about the complexities of movement differences continues to grow(1). Apraxia, or the difficulty with executing volitional movement is not only more understood, there is now a general body of knowledge amongst nonspeakers, families, support providers, […]
Who Decides Which Voices Should Be Heard? By: Jennifer Binder-Le Pape Nonspeaking autistics who spell and type to communicate are increasingly being included in the wider community, to everyone’s benefit. You can find them advocating for themselves and their peers with law enforcement agencies, at professional conferences, and with representatives of local, state and federal […]
Hey everyone! I want to take some time to talk about the holidays. While we often imagine the holidays are filled with cheer and comradery that may not be the case for your Nonspeakers. Sometimes family members that are visiting don’t know how to treat us. Sometimes we get ignored or talked down to. I […]
What Advocacy Means to a Late-in-Life Speller Everyone who knew me thought I was stupid because I couldn’t speak. The only things that came out of my mouth were nonsense, so I understand why people thought that. The fact is I was treated like a 4-year-old and denied an education because I was assumed to […]
Sexuality and Sex: Another Hard Conversation by Noah Seback Nonspeakers and sexuality. Nonspeakers and sex. Can these be mentioned in the same sentence? Is this an oxymoron? Did I read that correctly? Yes! I’m a nonspeaking autistic broaching the subject of sex and sexuality as it relates to our population. This topic is too rarely […]
Voting 101: Happy Disability Voting Rights Week! When it comes to voting, you ideally want to support a candidate who has the same morals and ideals as you. Voting for specific candidates will not be an overnight solution to the problems you see in legislation. Not only is it important to vote in both local […]
The Urgency of Inclusion I spent the last weekend in July wrestling with a torrent of strong emotions: unexpected optimism about the future, the deep sense of comfort and belonging that comes from being in a truly inclusive environment, and a profound sense that all of us, starting with me, need to participate more actively […]
Balancing Advocacy With Physical & Mental Wellness – I-ASC The Experts August 2022 – What’s your advice on balancing advocacy with physical and mental wellness? Another installment of our monthly blog feature, “I-ASC(I Ask) the Experts.” Our goal is to turn over some of the most frequently asked questions or issues to the true subject matter […]
Get Groups Going! You don’t need us to tell you that the spellerverse is all about inclusivity and increasing access to communication for all. But how can we extend that beyond our one-on-one sessions with our spellers? GROUPS! With so many S2C practitioners starting their centers from scratch, it may be difficult to find open […]
Letters are Everywhere Take a moment to imagine that you are attending a baby shower. When you look around, what types of gifts do you see? What patterns are emblazoned on the toys, blankets, and tiny clothes? I recently attended my own baby shower and, in my experience, there were lots of letters. I received […]
