Emma: My name is Emma Budway,
Ben: and I am Benjamin McGann and we both use spelling to communicate.
Emma: The majority of my and Benjamin’s childhood was spent in countless therapies and special education.
Ben: Each claiming to get through to the autistic child and teach him or her to be normal, or at least their version of normal.
Emma: The problem with that is we are not their version of normal. We do not move, communicate, or learn in conventional or traditional ways. Yet, we are tested and measured in conventional and traditional ways.
Ben: Those tests show results that do not accurately reflect our true intellect or ability to take in and comprehend information. They do reflect, however, the disconnect between brain and body.
Emma: That is where spelling to communicate benefits nonspeaking autistics. It’s not someone simply picking up a letter board and words magically come out,
Ben: It involves rigorous training for the communication partner, and weeks to months and sometimes even years of practice and dedication for the autistic and their family to be able to get to open communication.
Emma: Now that we can, we can tell our families we love them.
Ben: We can tell doctors what hurts.
Emma: We can teach the Neurotypical world about the Neurodiverse.
Ben: If that is taken away, a generation of bright minds will be silenced once again.
Sincerely,
Benjamin McGann and Emma Budway
