I Will Not Spell It in a Box

Think about all the ways - the wheres, the whys, and the whens - that you communicate. To borrow from Dr. Seuss - do you do it in a car? Do you do it in a bar? Do you do it when you’re glad? Do you do it when you’re sad? Or mad? Of course you do. Albeit some conditions are more optimal for effective and efficient communication than others. But what if someone told you you could only talk when you were standing up? Or sitting down? Or what if you were told you could not use your phone to text? Only a desktop or laptop with a big clunky keyboard when you wanted to converse with friends or family? You might find yourself in quite a frustrated, agitated state.

A multi modal approach to communication support for non- speakers is essential for maximum results and the least dysregulation. I enjoy spelling on a letterboard and/or a keyboard interchangeably. I also sometimes benefit from a light touch on my right arm (I am a leftie) which helps me with my impulse to grab my CRPs hair or clothing. I rely on his or her guidance, and we work together, daily, to find that sweet spot where communication and regulation co-exist as harmoniously as possible. There is no one rule book that tells us how to handle each and every scenario that we encounter on a daily basis. Nor should there be.

There is so much discourse among professionals who work with us non-speakers and our families. ASHA (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association) has mandated that its members not use spelling as a way to communicate. Although I fully understand the importance of establishing best practices for its members, there should be a limit to the amount of control a governing body has over its members. Those who champion our right to communicate differently must understand and embrace the fact that we are not all cookies cut from the same cutter. Although I hear this same diatribe expressed by well-meaning gatekeepers frequently, I see us no more united on this issue than years ago when I first embarked on my spelling journey. If we cannot agree that all types of communication can be helpful and valid, how can we honestly expect others to do so?

Let’s make a pact within our community to no longer undermine the ways in which we non-speakers and our allies strive to form connections and converse with our worlds.