Spelling to Communicate, a program that ensures access to communication and education for non-speaking autistic individuals, is looking for volunteers to write essays targeted to young children.
Several HHS students were recently introduced to this volunteer opportunity thanks to the school’s anatomy teacher, Marjorie Billeter. Billeter is a trained communication regulation partner for Spelling to Communicate.
The vast population of non-speaking autistic people have complex sensory-motor challenges and lack the fine motor skills to communicate in the ways that non-autistic people typically do. This makes it difficult for autistic individuals to express that their cognitive skills are usually intact and that they are still competent critical thinkers. Ms. Billeter expressed that it was originally these unique anatomical processes that sparked her fascination and aligned with her interest in how the brain functions that made her do more research into the program’s methods, but it has turned into a personal mission for her.
Spelling to Communicate (S2C) makes use of a spelling board comprised of letters, which individuals point to with their arms to develop their message. This is the best form of communication for non-speaking autistic people as it focuses on their gross motor skills rather than their fine motor skills. S2C then uses the board to teach individuals short lessons, which is where the volunteer opportunity comes into play.
Ms. Billeter works with the individuals by showing them an essay on a topic of their interest and asking questions along the way. Participants answer using the spelling board. However, she cannot use the same lesson twice because, as she put it, “it would be like only playing Mary Had a Little Lamb when learning to play the piano,” over and over again. With no new material, there’s no room for progress.
This is where her need of volunteers comes in. She relies on students at HHS to crowdsource the material that kids 6-18 are interested in.
She asks that volunteers write short essays (5-12 paragraphs) on any topic they are interested in, or on topics they think younger kids would be interested in. They should then generate 5-6 questions that challenge the student’s comprehension. HHS students have the opportunity to have an immense impact on the lives of others in our community.
Ms. Billeter hopes that if nothing else, students at HHS will treat individuals with non-speaking autism with respect and presume competence. “Even if you’re unsure of their understanding, little harm can be done by treating someone with the IQ of a 3 year-old as a 20 year-old”.
That can’t be said for the other way around.
Interested students should submit essays to Majorie Billeter via email: mbilleter@hopkinton.k12.ma.us
Annelise Brookes is a student at Hopkinton High School.
This is a great idea for idle for the Summer High School students who could use college application talking points down the road, plus it is a chance to help others.
Facilitated Communication, like Spelling to Communicate, is a bad thing. It’s pseudoscience and robs autistic folk from independence. It has been discredited from multiple scientific studies.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2396941518821570
It has even been declined as a sanctioned form of therapy by a court in Pennsylvania:
https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/decision-against-spelling-to-communicate-a-small-victory-for-science/
It saddens me that a Hopkinton Public Schools would offical sanction psuedoscience and bad practices for neurodiverse individuals.
How can providing a means of communication ‘rob’ someone of independence? That makes no sense. Especially if someone cannot use verbal speech, an alternative method of communication aids independence.
Because it’s not an evidence-based means of communication. There are many options for effective augmentative and alternative communication. Spelling to Communicate is not one of them.
Spelling to Communicate is an evidence based practice. It’s based on research, practitioner expertise and client preference. And I so wish that there were many effective options for non-speakers but unfortunately I can tell you from personal experience that there aren’t. Most of the AAC options are manding (I want a cookie, etc.) rather than the option for robust communication. If effective alternative methods of communication were really taught to non-Speakers I would have known that my non-Speaker has had chronic migraines since he was 12. I have had to guess about almost everything because he was never taught an effective alternative method of communication. Society, the education system, parents, etc. have slipped into a belief system that autistic non-Speakers are different. That they can’t learn how to communicate. (My kid was out-of-district at a private ABA school until 22 and was never offered a way to effectively communicate.) It behooves everyone to reexamine what we were told and old belief systems and to be open to new information and research. We need to listen to non-Speakers like Elizabeth Bonker, Jordyn Zimmerman, David Teplitz and Hari Srinivasen.
https://communicationfirst.org/
https://abc7news.com/uc-berkeley-cal-graduation-nonspeaking-autism-graduates-david-teplitz/11870714/
Spelling to Communicate is actually not Facilitated Communication. It is the method of communication that autistic non-Speaker Elizabeth Bonker who recently graduated from Rollins College as Valedictorian uses. Spelling or typing provides a way for non-Speakers to communicate.
I have to respond to your statement that communication “robs autistic folk from independence.” Lack of communication disallows autonomy. Lack of communication leaves everyone around that individual guessing and hoping they are making the right decision. Lack of communication leads to untreated medical conditions, limited social and educational opportunities, and complete lack of choice. Without communication there is no possibility of autonomy or independence. Communication is a basic human right and non-Speakers are entitled to communicate using AAC.
I’m so curious as to why you think autistic non-Speakers are incapable of spelling out their thoughts on AAC. Do you think that all non-Speakers are cognitively disabled to the extent they are less capable of using it than other disabled individuals? Stephen Hawkins used AAC. Are people with ALS able to do this but autistic people aren’t? Is the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) acceptable? Do you believe autistic people can use AAC only if a picture is present? My friend’s deaf son texts on his phone. I assume that’s believable even though he doesn’t talk. Is it believable when a non-Speaker can type but perhaps you feel that we shouldn’t allow scaffolding to work towards mastering that skill. Is it just autistic non-Speaker who are incapable of spelling or typing out their thoughts? It is ableism to assume that because a person can’t talk they are unable to communicate or use AAC. It just feels like there is a higher standard that exists for autistic people because of their specific disability.
When ABA was first advanced as a treatment for autism it was not accepted, now it’s a standard treatment. We learn things. Things advance. Now the first wave of autistic non-Speakers are graduating from college and it’s exciting. We need to listen to them! Find out more here: https://unitedforcommunicationchoice.org/
Here is a link to an eyetracking study from the University of Virginia: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32398782/
United for Communication Choice also has research: https://unitedforcommunicationchoice.org/research/
Thank you HopNews and Ms. Brookes for your article emphasizing the competence of non speaking autistic individuals! If anyone has additional questions about the efficacy of Spelling to Communicate, I urge you to explore the International Association for Spelling as Communication website, I-ASC.org. You could also read the book Underestimated: An Autism Miracle by JB and Jameson Handley for a first person view of using spelling to communicate.
Essays completed by willing high school students will be submitted to Communication4All.org, another informational website. There, you can also view autistic non Speaker Elizabeth Bonker’s valedictory address describing her mission to open communication for autistic non Speakers. Students can write essays about any topic of interest as a summer service project that they can do from their own homes, and their lessons can be used by non speaking individuals worldwide. This is a great opportunity for students to look outside themselves and enrich the world of their non speaking peers.