We are thrilled to share some of our favorite products and resources. Please feel free to contact us with any of your favorite nonspeaker-focused products and we’ll take a look. By pooling our knowledge we can better support the small businesses that support our communities!
Communication for Education – Online Training Course
Communication for Education is a collaboration among the Autism and Communication Center at California Lutheran University, Reach Every Voice, and Autistically Inclined. This course provides a solid foundation of best practices for developing a partnership between communication partners and autistic individuals by fostering understanding of presumption of competence, apraxia, emotional and physical regulation strategies, and varied communication strategies.
Communication 4 ALL – Advocacy and Online Academy
Founded by advocate Elizabeth Bonker—who herself is affected by autism and types to communicate—Communication 4 ALL champions efforts to ensure communication is available to all nonspeakers. We love their free C4A Academy for it’s accessibility and insights from Elizabeth Bonker herself.
Dr. Vaish Sarathy – Academic Coaching
Vaish Sarathy, Ph.D. is a learning strategist and a math/science educator. She works with individuals of all abilities, using principles derived from her decade of experience. She calls her educational program Nonlinear Learning – her mission is to reframe health and learning for students of all ages with disabilities, as she believes that equal education in communication access, sound nutrition, and movement are the birthright of every human. Her perspective is shaped by her nonspeaking 18-year-old son Sid, who has autism, Down Syndrome and is a published poet and author.
Vaish hosts a podcast – Non Linear Learning – where she interviews thought leaders in the realms of education, learning, and functional medicine, as well as advocates with disabilities. She and Searmi have fun co-hosting a series of talks called “Tiger Moms Chat” where they share their journeys as moms of nonspeakers, and hit some controversial topics as well. Vaish also has a fabulous online course, tailored for parents and caregivers, on how to best support your child’s learning journey.
Vaish is a Level 2 Practitioner in the AAC spelling modality called Rapid Prompting Method, where she coaches learners and their caregivers and communication partners on how to support spelling on a letterboard to communicate. She also provides math and science lessons via this method. Vaish’s unshakeable belief in her students and assuming intelligence is the key to her success – please watch her incredible TED Talk.
Northwest Spellers Alliance – Communication Support for Nonspeakers
NW Spellers Alliance’s mission is to help nonspeakers achieve autonomy and agency. They do this by teaching nonspeakers the motor skills needed to point to letters and spell as a method of communication. Their goal is to help all nonspeakers have the ability to communicate in a robust and reliable way.
STeP – Supported Typing Program
Supported Typing provides a form of Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) in which people of all ages and abilities who are challenged with communication (including non-speakers and unreliable communicators), are able to express themselves by pointing (e.g., at pictures, letters, or objects) and, more commonly, by typing (e.g., on an ipad, keyboard or letterboard). Their coaches are committed to using best practices at all times, and to training communication partners (staff, family, friends) with the same standards so that no one is leading or influencing the typer.
Visual Voice 3D – 3D Printed Letterboards
Johnathan West, founder of Visual Voice 3D, creates durable and affordable letterboards for nonspeakers. We love his letterboards for the customization features and the variety of sizes. He prints everything with his own 3D printer, which allows him to adapt quickly to feedback and create prototypes efficiently. You can find his products/updates on his website, Facebook, or Instagram.