The breakthrough that transformed our family, our understanding, andour son's future

For most of Avrumi’s life, he lived inside a world shaped by limited communication. With only minimal verbal abilities, he relied on simple signs and sounds to express his most basic needs. Yet we always sensed there was so much more—thoughts, opinions, humor, depth—locked inside him with no reliable way out.

Imagine having a full inner world yet no way to express it.

That was his reality for 19 years.

Years ago, I read I Am In Here, the story of Elizabeth Bonker, a non‑speaking autistic girl who communicates through a letterboard. Her brilliance stunned me. When I mentioned the idea to Avrumi’s teachers, they dismissed it: “He doesn’t know his ABCs.” But something in me couldn’t let it go.

Still, something in me couldn’t let it go.

Then I watched the documentary Spellers. Seeing non‑speakersincluding Elizabeth herself spell out complex, insightful thoughts shattered my assumptions. If they could do it, maybe Avrumi could too.

If she could do it, maybe Avrumi could too.

My search led me "Mouth to Hand Learning Center," run by a remarkable woman named Judy Chinitz.

The sign on the front door reads, "Silence is NOT Golden"

During Avrumi’s evaluation, Judy read him an advanced article and asked him to answer using a letterboard. He got many letters right—and many wrong. I was skeptical. I didn’t even know he knew the alphabet.

Judy gently challenged me: “Presume competence.” She explained that many non‑speakers are highly intelligent; their struggle is motor‑based apraxia not cognition. It makes coordinated movements difficult, including speech and accurate pointing.  With practice, accuracy improves.

We committed to six months. It changed everything.

As we practiced daily, Avrumi’s spelling became more accurate. At Mouth to Hand, I met parents whose children were finally expressing the thoughts they had held inside for years. Many told me their children’s anxiety, frustration, and behavioral challenges had dramatically decreased once they were understood.

This shift transformed our home. We began speaking to Avrumi in an age‑appropriate way, fully aware he comprehended everything. His behavior matured. His anxiety eased. He became calmer, happier, and more confident.

Avrumi now knew that we knew him-that we understood him and validated his intelligence.

A year later I trained in another communication method called Supported Typing. With gentle physical support for regulation—not direction—he began typing on an iPad. And then it happened: the words poured out. Profound thoughts. Insightful reflections. A voice we had been missing for nearly two decades.

Today, Avrumi works weekly with Deb Fischer at Mouth to Hand and with Galilee Damiao at Accessible Therapies. Between Deb’s gentle consistency and Galilee’s calm, encouraging guidance, Avrumi now spells out his profound thoughts that reveal the rich inner world we always sensed but could never access.

The truth is simple: many non‑speaking autistic individuals are far more intelligent than they appear. “Don’t judge a book by its cover” takes on new meaning—do not judge intellect by speech or outward behavior. Inside each person is a soul longing to be understood, validated, and loved.

Raising Awareness in Schools

Recently, I was invited by a speech pathologist at a special-needs school to speak with their staff and parents about the Spelling to Communicate (S2C) method. While the pathologist was already familiar with the approach, many others were encountering it for the first time — and understandably, they were skeptical. After all, it’s hard to imagine that students who struggle to speak could be capable of expressing complex thoughts and mastering academic content.

I shared my own journey — how I, too, was once unsure. But what I’ve witnessed through S2C has been nothing short of astonishing. These students are not only intelligent — they are deeply aware, curious, and capable of spelling out ideas that reveal just how much they know. Once the staff and parents saw this for themselves, everything changed.

Today, that school actively uses S2C. Parents who were once hesitant now practice regularly and are amazed by their children’s academic abilities. It’s a powerful reminder that communication is not limited to speech—and every student deserves the chance to be heard

A Call to Action for Parents & Future Professionals

If you are a parent, educator, or future occupational therapist, I urge you to learn these communication methods. The need is enormous, and the impact you could make on countless lives is immeasurable. Communication4All.org website and instructional videos is a wonderful resource for parents to teach them how to get thier kids to spell with them.

Every day, we are surrounded by children and students with profound inner worlds. They possess wisdom and insight far beyond what we often recognize. Methods like Spelling to Communicate or Supported Typing don’t create intelligence—they reveal it.

In any way possible we need to give them the opportunity to allow them to open up. The ‘cognitively impaired’ diagnosis must be removed from their evaluation reports!

I hope this inspires you to take the steps needed to help non‑speakers thrive.

 Resources:

Communication4All.org-see the Instructional Videos, and Case Studies

MouthtoHandLearning.com: Judy Chinitz Mt Kisco NY (914) 241-2500

Galilee Damiao, MS OTR/L Accessible Expression Therapies https://accessibletherapies.com GalileeOT@gmail.com 

Abilis STeP Supported Typing