What is Spelling to Communicate?
Our office in Munroe Falls, Ohio (near Akron) is proud to offer S2C services! All of our S2C Practitioners are also therapists with a Master's Degree in Speech Language Pathology or Occupational Therapy.
Our S2C Team
Samantha Fox, M.A., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Founder of Beyond Speech
Sam became a registered Spelling to Communicate Practitioner through I-ASC in August 2021. She is thrilled to be one of the first Spelling to Communicate Practitioners in Ohio. Supporting communication in non-speaking, minimally speaking, and unreliably speaking individuals is her greatest passion.
Emma Fiorita, MOT, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist
Emma became a registered S2C Practitioner through I-ASC in August 2023. She could not be more excited to use her expertise in motor-planning to help give a voice to non-speakers and support their autonomy throughout their daily activities!
Spelling to Communicate (S2C) is an alternative form of communication for individuals who cannot rely on their speech to express their thoughts. It teaches individuals the purposeful motor skills necessary to point to letters to spell their wants, needs, and ideas. Not sure if this is the right fit for your child? Please be sure to check the links & videos below to learn more about S2C!
It is important to remember that non-speaking does NOT equal non-thinking. Most of our families initially have doubts (some are extremely doubtful) whether their child will be able to be successful with S2C because they are unsure whether their child understands what is said to them/around them or are unsure if their child knows how to spell. With time and practice, they realized after starting S2C that their child understood everything and knew how to spell better than most typical children their age! Most Spellers have been wrongly diagnosed with a severe receptive-expressive language disorder and/or a cognitive disability. Let's talk about why the results of those tests were not reliable! We fully believe that your child is "in there" and are here to support all communication goals. We are always happy to chat and answer all questions:
Phone: 330-299-5121
Useful Links:
Overview of S2C: Spelling to Communicate - Growing Kids Therapy Center - YouTube
Interview with JB Handley (His son learned Spelling to Communicate) Underestimated: An Autism Miracle with JB and Jamie Handley - YouTube
Link to purchase the book “Underestimated” (highly recommended by many of my spelling to communicate families): Underestimated: An Autism Miracle (Children’s Health Defense): Handley, J. B., Handley, Jamison: 9781510766365: Amazon.com: Books
Video of speller, Gregory Tino, using letterboards to share his message: Gregory Tino on S2C or Spelling to Communicate - YouTube
Video of an unreliable speaker using S2C to explain how his speech does not represent his true thoughts: https://fb.watch/ip9uVfITyH/
Frequently asked questions about S2C: FAQs – Growing Kids Therapy Center
Web page with additional information: Spelling to Communicate | S2C | I-ASC
Recent Research: Eye-tracking reveals agency in assisted autistic communication | Scientific Reports (nature.com)
Non-speaker (types to communicate) presents at the American Speech, Language, & Hearing Association's Annual Conference 2022: SLPs as AAC Gatekeepers | CommunicationFIRST