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    Spelling to Communicate (S2C)

    Spelling to Communicate teaches individuals with apraxia/dyspraxia the purposeful motor skills necessary to point to letters to spell as an alternative means of communication (AAC). The goal is to achieve synchrony between the brain and body for a reliable means of robust communication.

    Brain Body Disconnect

    Why can't my child communicate? APRAXIA

    Individuals with Apraxia know what they want to say and do but cannot get their body to "listen" to their brain and follow through.

    Presume Competence

    Means that your nonspeaker can and wants to learn!

    Nonspeaking ≠ Non-thinking

    Cognition & Language are intact.

    The Path of Praxis

    Ideation

    The idea

    Planning

    Organizing the steps

    Execution

    Doing the action

    Adaptation

    Adjusting as needed

    4 Types of Motor

    Understanding how our bodies process and execute movement.

    UNPLANNED

    Reflexive

    • Fastest & Shortest Neuronal Pathway
    • Brain Stem & Spinal Cord
    • Inherited - Not Learned
    • Protective
    UNPLANNED

    Impulsive

    • Fast & Short Neuronal Pathway
    • Amygdala & Limbic Brain
    • Triggered in response to sensory/emotional stimulus
    • "Fight or Flight" & Survival Mode
    PLANNED

    Purposeful

    • Slowest & Longest Neuronal Pathway
    • Cortical Area
    • Stimulated in response to an idea (PRAXIS)
    • New & Novel Motor Actions
    PRACTICE MAKES PERMANENT
    UNPLANNED

    Automatic

    • Slow & Long Neuronal Pathway
    • Stimulated in response to an idea
    • Executed w/o conscious thought
    • Deep practice of purposeful motor

    Autism vs Apraxia

    Autism

    • Difference in social skills
    • May be gestalt language processors
    • Preference for sameness, special interests
    • Diagnosed by a psychologist

    Shared Traits

    • Late to talk or may be non-speaking
    • May use AAC
    • Sensory needs

    Apraxia

    • Difficulty motor planning (speech or whole body)
    • Receptive language is higher than expressive
    • Speech apraxia diagnosed by SLP

    Videos & Resources