A Vibrant Mind Hidden In Plain Sight

2016-11-10T10:11:25-05:00By |Categories: AAC, Cross Disability, Editor's Picks, General|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Martin Pistorius, author of the New York Times best-seller, Ghost Boy: The

Five Reasons You Need to Read ‘Ghost Boy’ by Martin Pistorius

2016-11-10T10:11:29-05:00By |Categories: AAC, Assistive Technology, Author, blog, Books You Need, Cerebral Palsy, Editor's Picks, General, Lauri Swann Hunt|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

For over ten years Martin Pistorius was trapped in his own body, fully cognizant, but unable to speak or move. He was surrounded by people who believed he was incapable of thinking and tried desperately to get just one person to notice. His story serves as a wake-up call for all of us to drastically change our assumptions about speech and intellectual capacity as well as the need to radically reform expectations and treatment of people with complex communication needs.

How Being Included Changed This Boy’s Life

2016-11-10T10:11:29-05:00By |Categories: AAC, Accessibility, Autism, blog, Cross Disability, General, Inclusion, Inclusive Education, Search Categories|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

Having opportunities to learn with everyone could access more opportunities for all.

The Importance of Opportunity

2016-11-10T10:11:35-05:00By |Categories: AAC, Advocacy In Action, Author, blog, General, Henry Recommends, Inclusion, Inclusive Education, Lauri Swann Hunt, Search Categories, Videos|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Dillan Barmache, a 14 year old autistic student, delivers his powerful 8th grade commencement speech using his iPad and brings the crowd to their feet.

Young Autistics Making Me Happy – Expressions of PosAutivity: #AutismPositivity2014

2016-11-10T10:11:35-05:00By |Categories: AAC, Advocacy, Amy Sequenzia, Author, Autism, blog, General, Search Categories|Tags: , , , , , , |

This poem is for my young friends: Evie, Ty, Max, Fallon, Mu, Jack, Emma, H., Philip, Oliver, Brooke, Henry, Miri, Cody, MissG, MasterL, and many others I cannot name here but I know are going to grow up to change the conversation. You make me very happy!

Life for Lief ~ “See Me As Smart”

2016-11-10T10:11:37-05:00By |Categories: AAC, Advocacy, Articles, Disability Rights, General, Neurodiversity, Ollibean Family, Parenting|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

“Some people think that kids who are autistic can’t handle getting a transplant. Kids with autism can handle it.” Lief O'Neill

This Is Autism by Henry Frost

2016-11-10T10:11:41-05:00By |Categories: AAC, Advocacy, Advocacy, Author, Autism, blog, Disability Rights, General, Henry, Henry Frost, Inclusive Education, Ollibean Brothers & Sisters, Ollibean Family, Think Tank|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Best place for all autistic people, all disabled not disabled people, all families to speak together. Speak together for acceptance, inclusion, communication, and rights for all people. I am thinking when you look closely, this is what autism is.

Inclusion, Communication and Civil Rights

2016-11-10T10:11:41-05:00By |Categories: AAC, Accommodations, Advocacy, Advocacy, Author, Autism, blog, Cross Disability, Disability Rights, General, Henry, Henry Frost, Inclusion, Inclusion Videos, Inclusive Education, Inclusive Education, Neurodiversity, Videos|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

"Learning is easy when the teacher knows you can learn. " Henry Frost

Dr. Caroline Musselwhite Shares Strategies to Promote Literacy for ALL

2016-11-10T10:11:42-05:00By |Categories: AAC, Articles, Assistive Technology, Disability Rights, General, Inclusion, Inclusive Education, Literacy|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

Dr. Caroline Musselwhite addresses the topic of overall good literacy

How AAC and assistive tech make classrooms better for all : Paula Kluth

2016-11-10T10:11:43-05:00By |Categories: AAC, Assistive Technology, blog, Editor's Picks, Featured (Homepage), General, Inclusive Education|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

In 2009, I published an article in The Reading Teacher

11 Year Old Jacob On The Right Thing To DO

2016-11-10T10:11:43-05:00By |Categories: AAC, Advocacy, Advocacy, Autism, blog, Cross Disability, General, Henry Recommends, Inclusion, Neurodiversity|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I said a long time ago that I would not only be an real student In a school that supports me but also a self advocate for those lost in segregated settings echoing the dreaded lives of people in the world that are like me without the right supports.

5 Ways to Elicit Language from PrAACtical AAC

2016-11-10T10:11:44-05:00By |Categories: AAC, Articles, Assistive Technology, Autism, blog, Cross Disability, Disability Rights, Editor's Picks, General, Inclusion, Inclusive Education|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

PrAACtical Suggestions: 5 Ways to Elicit Language Without Asking a

The Power of Presuming Competence

2016-11-10T10:11:44-05:00By |Categories: AAC, Advocacy In Action, Autism, blog, Cross Disability, General, Inclusion, Inclusion Resources, Inclusive Education, Resources, Video|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

"Thasya", a mini film by Dan Habib, highlights the power of presuming competence, differentiated instruction and augmentative and alternative communication. Inclusion works.

Disabilty and Civil Rights: Standing On the Right Side of History

2016-11-10T10:11:47-05:00By |Categories: AAC, Advocacy, Advocacy In Action, Author, blog, Cross Disability, Disability Rights, General, Inclusion, Inclusion Videos, Inclusive Education, Lauri Swann Hunt, Ollibean Family, Ollibean Mama Spotlight, Videos|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

"If we were to go back to the 1960s and we were to talk to those leaders who were vehemently against desegregation, we would hear the conviction in their voices of them stating why they believe their decisions and what they were doing to those children were just. Just as I believe that some of you and some of the board members that have spoken believe that their decisions are just. But, I fear that the Hillsborough County School Board is standing on the wrong side of history."

AAC Helps Learners with Complex Communication Needs Reach Their Full Potential

2016-11-10T10:11:48-05:00By |Categories: AAC, Accessibility, Assistive Technology, blog, Editor's Picks, Featured (Homepage), General|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

" A lot of these kids end up not reaching their full potential because they suffer from low expectations. People think they don't speak well, so we shouldn't have them in the regular classroom, but a lot of the kids I work with, they're cognitively fine. They're perfectly capable. They just need a viable means of communication to really help them through that." Cathy Binger

PrAACtical AAC | Presuming Competence and Using The Least Dangerous Assumption

2016-11-10T10:11:49-05:00By |Categories: AAC, Ableism, Articles, Assistive Technology, Autism, blog, Cross Disability, Editor's Picks, General, Inclusive Education, Resources|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

PrAACtical AAC's latest post on the importance of presuming competence.

Believing in Your Child and Why It Matters

2016-11-10T10:11:49-05:00By |Categories: AAC, Autism, blog, Cerebral Palsy, Cross Disability, Forums, General, Inclusion, Lauri Swann Hunt, Ollibean Brothers & Sisters, Ollibean Family, Ollibean Mama Spotlight, Ollibean Thought Leaders, Parenting|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

"No one affects a child's day, dreams and future like a mother. Of course we are never perfect, but perfect is never the goal." Tonya Whitlock

Ten Things I wish My Teacher and SLP Knew about AAC : Pat Mervine

2016-11-10T10:11:55-05:00By |Categories: AAC, Articles, Assistive Technology, blog, Editor's Picks, Featured (Homepage), General, Inclusive Education, Resources We Love, Search Categories|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

Pat Mervine has a great website and is the author

Standing Together for Inclusion

2016-11-10T10:12:01-05:00By |Categories: AAC, Advocacy, Author, blog, Education, General, Henry, Henry Frost, Inclusion, Ollibean Family, Think Tank|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

Standing together for inclusion, communication and civil rights. Please include all kids in your classroom.

Presume My Competence

2016-11-10T10:12:06-05:00By |Categories: AAC, Ableism, Advocacy, Author, blog, Cross Disability, Editor's Picks, General, Henry, Henry Frost, Ollibean Family|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Really, this is number one. Please presume my competence.

Ollibean Talks to Ray Ellis, director of “Certain Proof: A Question of Worth”

2016-11-10T10:12:07-05:00By |Categories: AAC, Accessibility, Assistive Technology, blog, Communication, Editor's Picks, Education, General, Inclusion, Inclusive Education, Video, Videos|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

"All of these children have one thing in common. They were always having to prove themselves, over and over and over again." Ray Ellis

Ollibean Mama Spotlight

2016-11-10T10:12:07-05:00By |Categories: AAC, blog, Editor's Picks, Featured (Homepage), General, Inclusion, Ollibean Family, Ollibean Mama Spotlight, Parenting, Think Tank|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Connect and learn with other parents like Tonya who presume competence and celebrate their children for being exactly who they are. #allofakind

Change Leader: Larry Bissonette

2016-11-10T10:12:11-05:00By |Categories: AAC, Advocacy, blog, Editor's Picks, Featured (Homepage), General, Ollibean Thought Leaders, Think Tank|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Our first Change Leader is artist and disability rights advocate, Larry Bissonnette. Larry's art, writing, presentations, and films are changing perceptions about disability around the world. His quote in Wretches & Jabberers, "More like you than not" says it all.

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