About this episode
Non-speaking autism advocate, Elizabeth Bonker, and Dawnmarie Gaivin, founder of the Spellers Freedom Foundation, join Del to challenge one of the most entrenched assumptions in autism care: that individuals who cannot speak also lack the ability to think or understand. Through spelling-based communication, many non-speakers are now demonstrating that their silence may stem from motor planning challenges, not intellectual disability.
Bonker, who communicates by spelling, graduated as valedictorian of Rollins College and now serves on the federal Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC). Her story illustrates how non-speaking individuals can possess rich cognitive abilities that often go unrecognized when speech is treated as the only measure of intelligence.
Gaivin explains how spelling-based communication methods are helping non-speakers access education, express complex thoughts, and participate more fully in society. Together, they are advocating for broader recognition of spelling as a legitimate form of communication and pushing for schools, therapists, and policymakers to presume competence and expand communication access for non-speaking individuals with autism.
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