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Jamie Burke: Thoughts from His Journey to Independent Typing
Hello folks, it’s certainly my joy to share with you these thoughts that have helped and supported me on this work of increasing the ability to engage a more dependable and independently accessed typed communication. These are still the dearly good steps that continue to be helpful in the typing of communication. Jamie Burke October…
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Skype Video Conferencing Technology Expands Autistic Typers’ World
On Friday afternoon, January 24, 2014, an extraordinary event occurred when a 21st Century technology helped expand the world a bit for four people affected by autism that struggle daily to communicate and find acceptance in the “normal” world. For the first time, nonverbal autistic typers Todd Washburne, age 47, Joe Kelly, almost 19, Josh…
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Mark Utter: “I am in here.” – A Facilitated Communication Documentary
For more information about the movie, or to purchase the “I am in here.” DVD, click here. Mark Utter’s Story 49 year old Mark Utter would probably be diagnosed today as autistic, although no one is quite sure what his original diagnosis as a child was. Many children born in the 1960s with similar neurological…
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Facilitated Communication: Tracy Thresher & John Smyth at 2011 ICI Summer Institute
Supported typers Tracy Thresher, co-star of the documentary Wretches & Jabberers, and John Smyth use supported typing to have a conversation at Syracuse University’s 2011 Institute of Communication and Inclusion Summer Institute: Connection, Communication, and Creativity. A true example of Facilitated Communication in action! This is the first time Tracy and John had an opportunity…
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Todd Washburne: Joining the Real World as an Adult Typer
I was raised as being retarded because I could not communicate. My frustration level was off the charts throughout my school years. The many times I got in trouble were driving me crazy and I couldn’t even be a tattletale so I was teased a lot. However, I did learn stuff like speed reading and…
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Autistic Typer’s Poetry Reviewed by Bestselling Author Don Mann
John Smyth is a nonverbal autistic who, until recently, had no ability to communicate with anyone – parents, doctors, educators, siblings. As with many similarly afflicted individuals, John, a highly intelligent young man, was diagnosed as having a 3 year old’s mind and warehoused by his local school system in “life-skills” training until he was…
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The Ember, a poem by John Smyth
The Ember by John Smyth When all I could lamely autistically do was open my mouth and make sounds that made no sense and behave in ways that were inconsistent with what a normal person would think or do, my autism looked as if it was what defined me and was all I might ever…
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For Non-verbal Autistics and Others with Disabilities, Frederick Douglass’ Fight for Equality Continues Today
Frederick Douglass, the former slave who became one of the leaders of the abolitionist movement, was a well-known social reformer, orator, writer, and statesman. He was most known for his powerful, incisive antislavery speeches and writing. He stood as a living counter-example to slaveholders’ arguments that slaves did not have the intellectual capacity to function…
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The Ember – Words & Music by Autistic Typer John Smyth
The Ember was written by supported typer John Smyth as an English class extra-credit assignment. His original poem was typed by him (all of the words are his, with about 5 verbal suggestions for better clarity from his dad.) John wrote / typed the original keyboard arrangement with the help of Vickie Stohl, his music…
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