Explore New Possibilities For Connections With Spelling to Communicate at ReClif
At ReClif, we believe that every individual should have the opportunity to advocate for themselves.
That’s why we offer Spelling to Communicate in Peachtree Corners. By teaching those with motor challenges the purposeful movement dexterity necessary to point to letters, we help our non-speaking clients:
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My name is Austin Moore. I met the Blankenships, Reece, when he was six years old and then my world changed. The Blankenships became a second family to me. Thus, I'm here doing what I do now. Cannot complain about anything else but just a great second family in the Blankenships so. And Reece, Reece is my brother. When it comes to spelling, there's a very important hierarchy of you follow the process of working with the three letter boards and then you advance into a 26 letter board. Now the ultimate goal is to get to a laminate and then of course a keyboard, which is what I work with a lot of my guys and gals on now and trying to get them independent. Now independent keyboarding is a whole different beast. It takes a lot of practice and a lot of patience, but working with these clients through the process of going to three letter boards, 26 letter board, and then the keyboard is so important and working through lessons.
The lesson is the biggest key because the lesson helps them just bring their coordination into sync. And then you open it up into a, say, what we call a semi-open question. Give me two states that we talked about in the west coast where you know a certain number of states, but they get to develop what they want to say and then you get into the open and so on. So it's just very important that people stick to the process of using a lesson, very, what we call, a teach ask, or a known answer. And then move on into that. And I'll tell you one of the coolest things is with my parents that sit in with my sessions as I'm going through and they're seeing their student, their son or daughter spelling these amazing things on the letter boards, and I get these little crackles or giggles behind me. That's another one of those things that makes my day, that makes me like, this is why I do what I do.
- Use a hierarchy of verbal and gestural prompts to move our clients from simple choices to independent typing
- Advance the skills needed for both communication and education
- Achieve brain and body connection
It’s no secret that Spelling to Communicate, or S2C, has a special place in the heart of ReClif as this is how Reece was first able to begin sharing his thoughts with his family. See how we are changing lives! Call us today at (678) 691-5426 to schedule a tour of our facility.
Communication Is Possible & We Can Help
S2C is a method of teaching specifically for non-speaking individuals on the autism spectrum or those with other motor planning challenges. At ReClif, we begin by presuming competence and believing that all individuals have the ability to learn and communicate regardless of their perceived limitations.
The capability to speak (or not) is a motor function that, in those with autism, can be affected by apraxia, which is the inability to translate conscious speech plans into motor plans.
Having language is different than having the ability to speak, as language is a cognitive function that allows us to learn, understand, and think in words. By presuming competence, we embrace our clients’ cognitive ability and focus on helping them achieve purposeful motor movements that aid in communication. A typical ReClif spelling session looks like this:
We begin with a lesson that is appropriate for the client’s age and encourage, with prompts, purposeful pointing to letters on a variety of letter boards beginning with large 9 letter stencil boards and advancing to a 26 letter laminate board. Through these lessons, we help our clients build the motor skills necessary to point to letters in order to express knowledge, thoughts, and emotions.- After our client has developed the skills of spelling and reliable communication, they are able to move on to the more advanced skill of independent keyboarding.
- The ultimate goal of S2C is to help our clients build neural pathways so they can improve motor planning and fine motor control.
ReClif coaches work closely with the client and family in order to provide age and interest appropriate lessons specifically geared toward each individual. This makes our sessions together much more fun and productive!
It has always been Reece’s desire to encourage family interaction through Spelling. At ReClif, we will work on helping family members learn the best-practice procedures to “get on the boards” with your child. While it is not a requirement for our spelling sessions, coaching the parent as they begin the journey to communication with their child is a particular joy for our ReClif staff. Ask us because we are here to help!
Contact us by calling (678) 691-5426 today to set up a visit and find out more about Spelling to Communicate in Peachtree Corners.