Andy and Red had two contrasting looks on life. Red was steadfast that hope was a dangerous thing. A thing that could drive a man insane. Andy, on the other hand, felt different. Hope was a good thing. Maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever died. If that sounds familiar, it’s because it’s from The Shawshank Redemption, but it’s also an apt metaphor for the spellers at AALIVE’s Inside Voice Program.
The Inside Voice Program opened as a Spelling to Communicate center in June 2017. We began with six spellers, and, as of the writing of this newsletter, have served more than thirty spellers from six different states. Thanks to the AALIVE Organization, a non-for-profit entity that supports our work, we are able to set more affordable rates to make the S2C method more accessible to our community.
What makes Inside Voice unique is that we are the only adult-oriented program (ages 16 and over) within the S2C community. We decided to focus our attention on the adult world for a multitude of reasons, but our primary objective was to be a program that could fill a void in the adult world. Once an individual “ages out” of the Department of Education at 21 years old, and enters the adult world, there are few programs available to them. It was our hope to ensure that there was a meaningful and purposeful option waiting for them on the other side.
There is also a freedom that comes with working with adults. We are able to explore a broader range of topics. Since we aren’t bound by curriculum, we can explore a variety of topics and discussions, which leads to perceptive and thought-provoking content. Adults also have a way of insightfully articulating their thoughts and experiences.
With our adult spellers, AALIVE’s Inside Voice program has been able to create a Book Club that has covered classic books such as The Great Gatsby, The Outsiders and Murder on the Orient Express. Inside Voice is also dissecting a popular universe in a Marvel Comics-themed group.
Inside Voice S2C Practitioners, who have completed the professional cohort training, as well as multiple spellers, have presented at numerous colleges such as Swarthmore College, St. Joseph’s University, West Chester University and Princeton University. Its Practitioners have also attended and have been invited to present at the Motormorphosis Conference in Virginia as well as the National Autism Conference in Pennsylvania.
Inside Voice is particularly proud of its close-knit and caring community. Outside of the day-to-day sessions, you will likely find our families enjoying a variety of activities including dances, family shows, sporting events and a lecture series. The overlap into these social-oriented activities has bloomed into a dynamic and fun group built upon kindness, friendship, and humor. And hope.
Tom Foti,
S2C Practitioner
You can read the thoughts and perceptions of three Inside Voice spellers named Gregory, Alex, and Brian who have their own blogs. The links to their blogs are as follows:
- Alex: Musings of a Beginner’s Mind
- Brian: The Boy Who Learned To Speak Without A Voice
- Gregory: In Autism
2 Responses
Where do you have locations for students to learn
Hi Donna,
There are S2C Practitioners all over the world. You can find a practitioner near you by using the I-ASC map found here or send an email to info@i-asc.org with the city you reside and we will send you the information of the nearest practitioners.