A Vibrant Mind Hidden In Plain Sight
Martin Pistorius, author of the New York Times best-seller, Ghost Boy: The
Martin Pistorius, author of the New York Times best-seller, Ghost Boy: The
My body movement speed is not average. It is not
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.
Having opportunities to learn with everyone could access more opportunities for all.
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.
“Some people think that kids who are autistic can’t handle getting a transplant. Kids with autism can handle it.” Lief O'Neill
Dr. Caroline Musselwhite addresses the topic of overall good literacy
In 2009, I published an article in The Reading Teacher
PrAACtical Suggestions: 5 Ways to Elicit Language Without Asking a
Modeling AAC Style - This is a strategy that is
"Thasya", a mini film by Dan Habib, highlights the power of presuming competence, differentiated instruction and augmentative and alternative communication. Inclusion works.
"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."
" 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
Barb Rentenbach's funny, poignant and beautiful must-read book, I Might Be You: An Exploration of Autism and Connection, is now available as an audiobook.
One of our favorite resources for all things AAC!
A brilliant 16-year-old boy who has autism is breaking through
Presumption of competence combined with support and collaboration from team members helps the learner with complex communication needs have a voice in the classroom.
Pat Mervine has a great website and is the author
These are the top 10, now top 18 things I need for teachers, therapists, doctors, friends and family to know.
Please never refer to my iPad as a toy. It is not. It is my voice. Imagine if you could not speak with your mouth how important your iPad voice would be.
I see a little girl every week at events that
You look at me But you don’t see me You
It is a mistaken idea that we, autistics, lack empathy. It is also a myth that we are not social. My friends and I, we understand and respect differences. And we understand that we all have a lot to contribute, in a diversity of manners.
"Storm" a poem by autistic self-advocate Amy Sequenzia.
"All of these children have one thing in common. They were always having to prove themselves, over and over and over again." Ray Ellis
About FAAST Our Mission is to improve the quality of life
Researchers have come up with a device that may enable
MyVoice is a new app, available for Apple and Android
MISSION Helping Autism Through Learning and Outreach is a non-profit
Last year Dr. Sanjay Gupta of CNN wanted to talk
Blog on the topic of assistive technology, eLearning, mind mapping,
"A world where the voice of every child and adult,