April 2017 – Non-Verbal Communication For Individuals with Autism

Matt Hayes’ Documentary “My Voice” Silenced in Central Indiana

A few years ago, we wrote about a remarkable young man named Matthew Hayes who has been autistic since birth and started typing at a very young age, which surprised everyone because he was thought to be mentally retarded and could not think normally. Matt’s journey from silence to the discovery of his “voice” through…

Clayton Tharpe

Wellspring Guild: Employing Best Practice Standards for Facilitated Communication Training and Support

Facilitated Communication (FC,) also known as Supported Typing (ST) is, put simply, a technique in which physical, communication, and emotional support is provided by a facilitator to an individual with a communication disorder (communicator). Facilitated Communication Training (FCT) is a strategy within the methods of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) where the facilitator provides a…

2017 Midwest Autism Summer Institute: Advocating for Access – June 22 and 23

For many of us, Summer Vacation includes a trip East to attend the Syracuse University Institute on Communication & Inclusion‘s Autism Summer Institute. This year, however, the ICI will not be hosting a conference on the East Coast. Instead, they will join forces with the University of Northern Iowa for the 2017 Midwest Summer Institute:…