Skills and strategies matter—but without trust, communication won’t happen. In this piece, Lisa Mihalich Quinn shares why the deepest trust in nonspeaking student communication isn’t just about feeling safe to share, but about knowing honesty will be met with real listening, reflection, and change.

The journey of parenting a nonspeaking autistic child can feel incredibly lonely. Too often, parents find themselves navigating complex systems, advocating for services they barely understand, and searching for resources that seem impossible to find. But what if that isolation could transform into connection? What if uncertainty could become confidence?

The language ladder is transforming how educators support nonspeaking learners. This simple visual tool meets students where they are while opening doors to meaningful communication. Ready to learn how it's changing everything? Read more →

"It blew my mind learning that the motor system has so much influence on speech and regulation. Apraxia should be in the vocabulary of medical, educational and social spheres." - Paula, Parent For decades, educators have been missing a crucial piece when supporting nonspeaking autistic learners: understanding apraxia and the mind-body disconnect. Ready to discover the missing piece? Read more →

"I have set higher expectations for him and now expose him to age appropriate information and activities. He has felt this difference and responded with more confidence." - Deb H., Parent A quiet revolution is happening: educators are discovering their nonspeaking students are hungry for intellectual challenge and capable of far more than anyone imagined. Ready to join the academic revolution? Read more →

"While I thought that I had been doing a good job at presumed competence, I realized that I need to raise my bar even higher." - Speech Language Pathologist The language we use has profound power to either limit or liberate nonspeaking students. It's not just about being "politically correct"—it's about fundamentally shifting outcomes. Ready to transform your language? Read more →

"Having the mindset that the behaviors I see from my students are most likely NOT intentional… It most likely is a result of their mind and body not being able to communicate with each other. This shift in my thinking has been so helpful." - Michelle, Paraprofessional The old paradigms of compliance are giving way to understanding regulation, dysregulation, and nervous system responses. Ready to join the regulation revolution? Read more →

We rarely hear the stories of nonspeaking autistic people. Until now... Jakob, 24, shares that his speech often inaccurately reflects his true intentions, sometimes saying the opposite of what he means. "There is so much inside our minds. We want to say yes but somehow yes gets scrambled into no. Give your kids every single chance to get those words out even if it looks different or hard."

For 15 years, I thought I was the teacher my nonspeaking autistic students needed. I was wrong. Not because I didn't care, but because the system failed to teach me that autism is linked to movement differences, not behavioral issues. I wish I'd understood nervous system regulation and presumed competence from day one. The training we need exists—it's time to make it accessible to every educator.

Justice’s message challenges us to teach beyond labels and see each student’s unique potential. By embracing individuality and setting high expectations, we create inclusive classrooms that empower all learners—especially those who communicate differently. His words are a powerful reminder: when we believe in our students, we help them believe in themselves.

“I always resented the fact that I had to earn my place in regular education just because I am nonspeaking, while all the other students who couldn’t care less about school got a free pass to a real education.” – Kayla Kayla’s words reveal the deep inequities nonspeaking students face. Her experience challenges us to rethink how we define intelligence, access, and inclusion in education.

Discover the groundbreaking research that proves our training program is a game-changer for supporting nonspeaking autistic students.

"My 20 year old still watches Blues Clues" ... What if Blues Clues wasn't actually his motivation?

Ever Wonder Why Schools Don't Tend To Embrace Branded Methodologies? The answer actually makes sense...

When we aren’t taught about apraxia or dyspraxia, and we see a student not responding to a simple request, it is easy to jump to the most ob

When you're the parent of a nonspeaking student, you may be feeling the dread of "here we go again..." as we start another school year.

Autonomy empowers individuals to make choices that align with personal goals, beliefs, and desires, encouraging self-determination.

There are so many roadblocks to meaningful education for nonspeaking students. To effect change, we have to focus on what IS possible.

What do you think of when you hear the words "Presuming Competence?" Here are 5 things we think parents, autism educators, support...

"I was put into classrooms with low expectations with little to no teaching of the common curriculum. One of thousands of students who...