Spelling to Communicate

Let me spell it out for you

communication comes in many different forms

What is spelling to communicate?

Spelling to Communicate (S2C™) empowers nonspeakers to overcome communication barriers posed by traditional oral communication by pointing to letters on a board as an alternative means of communication. This innovative method promotes synchrony between cognitive and motor systems. Through repeated practice, new neural pathways become myelinated. By teaching the motor skills necessary to point on a letterboard positioned in front of them, nonspeakers improve motor planning and control, enabling them to communicate their thoughts and ideas quickly and accurately.

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Understand nonspeaking communication

Language

autism-speaking-S2C-spelling-to-communicate

Speech

Communication

Motor Skills

Apraxia

Language is a cognitive ability. It is a rule-based system of shared spoken, manual, or written symbols through which human beings represent thoughts, ideas, and experiences.

Speech is the physical production of sounds or phonemes that combine to form words, phrases, and sentences. Speech is one means used to communicate. Speech relies on motor skills to produce, sequence, and mix sounds that represent meaning.

Communication is the exchange of information between two or more people. Communication can include speech, writing, signs, spelling, and gestures. All forms of communication require purposeful motor skills.

Motor skills involve specific movements of the body's muscles to perform certain tasks. Gross motor skills involve the body's arms, legs, and trunk. Fine motor skills involve the fingers and the articulators (the moving parts for speech and eating).

Apraxia is a neurological motor condition that happens When the body is not able to execute and adapt to plans made by the brain. The brain is telling the body what to do but the body cannot carry out the plan.

S2C starts with presuming competence

We believe all individuals can and want to learn and communicate regardless of their perceived limitations. By presuming competence, typing and spelling embraces a nonspeaker’s cognitive function and focuses on purposeful motor movements. Not being able to speak does not affect your ability to understand and think!

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Evidence-based Apraxia & Eye Tracking Research

Apraxia is the main reason that many nonspeakers can’t speak reliably or at all. It is the most common reason nonspeakers in our community have difficulty initiating their intended actions or maintaining momentum to follow through to completion. Nonspeakers often appear not to understand words or instructions because apraxia gets in the way. Apraxia and sensory processing, and stimuli reactions often leave nonspeakers in our community very misunderstood.

see our research

"Having the ability to communicate is truly the greatest gift I've been given in my entire life, and it is, thanks to Elizabeth Vosseller and Spelling to Communicate that I am spelling this now! I can remember the first time that I sat down with EV to spell, and it was clear to me that I would be able to communicate using the letterboard and that my whole existence was about to change drastically! Excited for the future, for the first time in my life, I found myself looking forward to a life where my words could make a difference in the lives of those who, like me, had been living in silence. If you are watching this, know that you too can learn to control your body to spell your thoughts out on a letterboard! It has been the biggest blessing in my life, and it is my dream and my life mission to ensure that each and every nonspeaker across the globe has access to an effective means of communication!"

How has my life been impacted??... I am very active in my community and in the world as a whole because I have an effective and reliable form of communication. None of my current success or continued happiness would be possible without communication. It all begins and ends with access and support to communication. I have been crazy busy this year. Bella Santoyo and William Del Rosario and I have banded together and call ourselves the MOD (Making Our Destiny) Squad...In September we lobbied the Governor of California and the Department of Developmental Services for greater funding for access and support for communication. We have been presenting at conferences and universities and have been featured in podcasts too. I published an article in Autism Digest this month. I was appointed to the Office of Administrative Hearings for the Department of Developmental Services Advisory Committee. It's a far cry from the Special Day Class a decade ago. I'm a senior in high school and will graduate next year. That's how.

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Learn more about S2C

What is S2C? A Spellers Perspective

Getting Started with S2C ~ I-ASC the Experts

The Pedagogy of S2C

Is S2C Right for Your child?

Who will benefit from spelling as a form of communication?

Individuals with motor-sensory challenges that do not allow them to use their mouth to produce robust, reliable and effective communication.

All communication requires motor skills. Just because your nonspeaking loved cannot communicate via speech does not mean they do not understand or does not have anything to say!

About 70% of current spellers are autistic, the other 30% have other disabilities; such as Down Syndrome, Angelman Syndrome, Pitt Hopkins, Phelan-McDermid, and other genetic conditions or symptoms that affect motor-sensory skills. We would like to see that 30% grow. S2C teaches the motor skills necessary to spell communication by using a letter board and is not limited to use with autistic students.

How do I know if my child is a candidate for Spelling to Communicate™ (S2C)?

S2C is appropriate for anyone age 5 or older who is nonspeaking, minimally speaking or unreliably speaking. Just as with traditional education, we adapt to the individual learning needs of a specific student. We know that all students can and want to learn.

What do I do if my child is under 5 years old?

If your child is three or younger, we recommend allowing traditional speech therapy, occupational therapy, and early intervention the chance to possibly work. In the meantime, “feed the brain." You can feed the brain by reading age-appropriate books aloud, using age-appropriate language, and practicing skills that build purposeful hand-eye coordination, such as catching balls, tracing letters, etc.

If your child has reached the age of four, please contact us now to discuss when it might be appropriate to start seeing an S2C practitioner. We may recommend a consultation with a certified S2C Practitioner to give you some ideas to build some motor and literacy skills to get ready for S2C.

My child is not autistic, but is unable to speak for other reasons. Will S2C still work for us?

Yes! About 70% of our clients are autistic, and the other 30% have other disabilities, such as Down Syndrome, Angelman Syndrome, and other genetic conditions or symptoms that affect motor-sensory skills. S2C teaches the motor skills necessary to spell communication using a letterboard and is not limited to use with autistic students.

Will S2C or using letterboards improve my child’s speech?

Our focus is on communication versus speech. Research has consistently shown that the use of AAC will not decrease speech and often increases speech. We have seen anecdotal evidence that one of the happy byproducts of using letterboards can sometimes improve speech. Our purpose is to teach a reliable and effective means of communication. It is important to note that learning S2C is not incompatible with other therapeutic interventions such as speech therapy, occupational therapy, music therapy, and special education services you may choose to pursue as well.

My child already uses another form of AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication). Why would a letterboard be necessary?

We celebrate ALL means of communication! Many of our clients use multiple means of communication - spelling, AAC apps, speech generating devices, and sometimes speech.

Learning the motor skills to accurately spell on 26 letters leads to full, robust, flexible communication. Many other forms of AAC, such as picture exchange apps, use whole words and icons to construct sentences. These methods often also require complex motor skills and even when mastered, it’s impractical to program these apps with every word in a language. As such, these forms of AAC often can’t be used to engage fully with a teacher, discuss current events, or have meaningful conversations with friends and family. However, a person can say anything at all by learning the motor skills to choose from just 26 letters in the alphabet. As we like to say, “Twenty-six letters equals infinite possibilities!”

FAQ's about S2C

Who developed S2C?

In 2015, Elizabeth Vosseller developed Spelling to Communicate (S2C)™ as a method with clear protocols, processes, and procedures for spelled communication that is replicable, reliable, responsible, and researchable.

Is S2C a trademarked method?

Yes, Spelling to Communicate™ (S2C™) is a trademarked method. I-ASC holds the trademark and intellectual property rights for S2C, its procedures, regulations, and training. I-ASC is the sole source of training to become a Certified S2C Practitioner.

Can you combine S2C with other methodologies?

I-ASC embraces and supports nonspeaking people and any method they use to communicate. I-ASC is the sole source of training in Spelling to Communicate (S2C). S2C is developed with specific procedures to ensure reliable, replicable, and responsible best practices. In order to maintain the integrity of the S2C methodology, it cannot be combined with other approaches for spelling and typing.

What about those that say S2C is not evidence based?

The "three-legged stool" is a commonly used metaphor to describe the key components of evidence-based practice. It represents the integration of three important elements that support evidence-based decision-making.

These three legs are

Best available research evidence: This refers to the use of high-quality research studies, such as systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and randomized controlled trials, to inform decision-making. The emphasis is on using evidence from well-conducted studies that provide reliable and valid findings.
Clinical expertise: This leg recognizes the importance of professional knowledge and expertise in the specific field or domain. It involves the practitioner's skills, experience, and judgment in applying the research evidence to individual cases or situations. Clinical expertise allows practitioners to consider the unique needs and characteristics of their clients or patients.
Client values and preferences: The third leg acknowledges the significance of incorporating the values, preferences, and goals of the individuals receiving care or affected by the decision. It involves considering their unique circumstances, perspectives, cultural background, and personal preferences. Patient values and preferences help ensure that the chosen interventions align with the individual's needs and promote shared decision-making.

The three legs of the evidence-based stool work together to create a balanced approach, where research evidence, clinical expertise, and patient values are integrated to make informed and individualized decisions. This framework helps ensure that interventions and decisions are grounded in the best available evidence while considering the unique needs and preferences of the individuals involved. Visit our research page for more information.

What is the difference between an S2C Practitioner and a Communication Regulation Partner (CRP)?

A certified S2C Practitioner is trained to work with any number of clients with a number of possible profiles (young, adult, high anxiety, dysregulated, etc.) and teach the process of S2C from beginning to end.

Anyone sitting next to a speller, holding the board, is serving at that moment as the speller's CRP because they are providing communication assistance and co-regulating the speller.

A CRP is a one-to-one communication support. This person gets speller-specific training to work with a particular speller at their current skill level. The CRP can be a parent, sib, or aide. The certified S2C Practitioner provides guidance and supervision. CRPs need careful training and supervision. Generally, someone who is only a CRP serves as a one-to-one aide, and the S2C Practitioner is a professional working with multiple spellers.

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(FO-MO – noun Slang. – the fear of missing out)