Spelling to Communicate

S2C

A hand holds a black stencil letter board against a plain wall.

S2C benefits individuals who are nonspeaking, minimally speaking, or who have apraxia, dysregulation, or motor planning differences that make spoken language hard to produce. S2C presumes competence and is based on the idea that non-speaking does not equal non-thinking.

For the nonspeaking community, the challenge is not understanding language, but executing motor movements. By practicing purposeful, regulated motor skills and gradually increasing independence, S2C provides a pathway for individuals to express their ideas, knowledge, and opinions in real time. Using a series of letter boards, the communicator learns to point to letters to spell words, sentences, and eventually full conversations.

Spelling to Communicate is an appropriate intervention for any nonspeaking, minimally speaking, or unreliable speaking individual. There is no prerequisite!

Black stencil letter boards placed on a beige shaggy surface.

Presume Competence!

In S2C, we presume competence because we recognize that the ability to think, learn, and understand is not defined by someone’s ability to speak or control their body.

Many nonspeaking and minimally speaking individuals have rich inner lives, strong cognitive skills, and a desire to share their thoughts—but motor and sensory differences make spoken communication difficult.

By presuming competence, we honor each person’s potential, provide access to robust language and literacy, and create the conditions for authentic communication to emerge through purposeful motor skills and spelling.

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