Autism Atmosphere

09/11/2025

Owen’s guys group is ready to answer your questions and give advice. Please go to Adroit Therapy Services page and comment your questions.

📣 Calling all questions!

The Guys Group, a discussion-based group of adult Spellers, is gearing up for their next session, and they want to hear from you! The Guys Group is accepting question submissions about life and advice for their upcoming group, where they will share their insights on all your questions. Please ask anything from spelling, life as nonspeaker, or life in general!

Please comment your questions below or email them to info@adroittherapyservices.com by Thursday, September 18th.

👀 Stay tuned as they share their insights and perspectives soon!

07/26/2025

Great start to a magical weekend!
Nothing like having 150 plus non-speaking autistics in one space.

International Association for Spelling as Communication

07/02/2025

Owen meets every other week with this group of guys and loves every minute of it. They share their thoughts and ideas on the subjects they learn about and sometimes they even have debates. It’s been really awesome to see what they have to say.

This week in guys group, we explored the history of news and propaganda. We examined how propaganda shapes what people believe and how powerful it can be to accept or reject it.

Inspired by the "Propaganda I’m Not Falling For" social media trend, the guys made their own version from nonspeakers’ perspectives.

Here’s what Michael, Dan, Joey, and Owen had to say.👇👇
💥 Being nicer to my haters
💥 People pleasing
💥 Knowing a lot and staying quiet
💥 Feeling aline in silence
💥 Affecting others negatively
💥 Using pictures to communicate
💥 Keeping fun social situations to only those that show interest
💥 Watching nonspeakers work and still not believe them

What’s some “propaganda” you’re not falling for anymore?

06/30/2025

We just ordered our Tennessee T-shirts for the International Association for Spelling as Communication S2C Motormorphosis conference!
🧡
If you’re from Tennessee be sure to get yours.
🧡
https://www.bonfire.com/tennessee-letterboard/?utm_source=copy_link&utm_medium=thanks_page_share_modal&utm_campaign=tennessee-letterboard&utm_content=default

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Buy merchandise from Tennessee Letterboard. Featuring Dark Heather Grey Premium Unisex Tees, professionally printed in the USA.

06/25/2025

Everyone needs to learn about S2C!
S2C has been life changing for Owen!
On Friday, he was able to express his frustrations about wanting to be more independent while watching his siblings have big opportunities.

If you’re interested to learn more about S2C or would like to see it in person please contact me, Owen and I would happy to share our experience.

https://www.fox5dc.com/video/1663794?fbclid=IwQ0xDSwLIIUtleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHnW-UYjBKJ9LtJZZGhXaKGP7H_aSmHwVYpAbY4Wd8wY2DrAt3NiWTPXBKlsR_aem_SuPt3MDWPlEfZL6VC

Imagine being unable to speak but yet having a full inner world filled with thoughts, ideas, and feelings all trapped inside. For the estimated 30 million nonspeaking individuals around the world, that’s a daily reality. However, an innovative teaching method called spelling to communicate, or S2C...

06/11/2025

ATTENTION ALL FAMILIES WHO HAVE A CHILD WHO IS NON-SPEAKING.

Owen has been doing S2C since 2021 and is now typing his thoughts onto a keyboard. It has been totally life changing for him and our family.
At his most recent S2C session he expressed that one day he would like to swim with sharks.
If anyone is interested we would happily have you join us at one of his S2C sessions to check it out.

I am proud to show you my latest video about Spelling To Communicate. Autistics like myself can finally communicate after many bleak years of silence.Please ...

04/02/2025

🌍✨ Today is World Autism Day, and April is Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month! As I scroll through over a decade of Facebook memories celebrating our support for autism, I can’t help but feel a sense of sadness. It’s disheartening that we are still advocating for acceptance, inclusion and respect for Owen and individuals like him.

We must DO BETTER as a society. This year, let’s make a commitment to uplift and embrace everyone on the spectrum. Let’s show that kindness and respect are values we ALL deserve. Together, we can create a more inclusive world for Owen and others like him.

04/02/2025

Today is World Autism Day! Here are three simple ways you can support Autistic individuals.

This month, we encourage everyone to listen to the experts themselves. Autistic individuals are the real experts on Autism, and it’s crucial we listen to what they have to say.

03/26/2025

Their brains are hungry. Feed them!

For non-speakers and minimally speaking individuals, cognitive stimulation isn’t overwhelming—it’s regulating.

But so many are drastically underestimated. Which means school often doesn’t give them the kind of input their minds are craving.

Here are 3 simple ways to feed the brain:

A. Listen
Play age-respectful audiobooks and podcasts in the background.
It doesn’t need to be a “thing.” Just let it play quietly like white noise for the brain.
Listening doesn’t have a look, so even if it looks like they’re not paying attention or listening - they are! It can be so regulating to have that continuous cognitive input flowing.

B. Read
Books written by non-speaking authors are powerful and often deeply moving. Some of our favorites:

1. Lights in the Darkness (Anthology)
https://a.co/d/iI2YvR8

2. The Autistic Mind Finally Speaks by Gregory C. Tino
https://a.co/d/bcJBvlO

3. Leaders Around Me (by a group of spellers/typers)
https://a.co/d/9DyMtw3

4. Underestimated by J.B. Handley & Jamie Handley
https://a.co/d/eGfGK7D

C. Speak Respectfully
Talk to them like you would anyone else their age.
If you wouldn’t say it to a neurotypical 15-year-old, don’t say it to a 15-year-old speller. That goes for any age.

They’re listening. They’re thinking. Let’s give them more.

03/13/2025

Less than a year ago Owen struggled to jump just up a few inches on command and he’s now jumping on a 24 inch box!

When Cassidy told me Owen would do box jumps I had little faith that she could teach him, but it looks like I was wrong again.

It’s rare to meet someone who sees your child’s potential more than what you could imagine, and Cassidy is one of those precious people. She focuses solely on Owen’s abilities and encourages him to achieve goals when others have totally written him off.

Their next challenge is to climb a rope. Cassidy’s idea definitely not mine. I may have laughed a little when she told me but after seeing this progress I believe!

02/13/2025

Look at this progress!

12/25/2024

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas 🎄