In Memorium
It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of Laura Poorman's mother Nancy Baughman on Friday, May 26, 2017. In addition to Laura, she is survived by her husband David, her children Mike Baughman and Lisa Beck, grandchildren Mark, Bethany, Morgan, Natalie, Chelsea, Amanda, great grandchild Patrick, brothers Hershel Sandlin, David Sandlin, and sister Phyllis Collingsworth.
Nancy was a very kind and loving woman who had a great deal of compassion and respect for our nonverbal individuals with autism. Saved By Typing owes her a great debt as we would not exist without her contribution.
It was in fact Nancy Baughman who first discovered what the Institute at Syracuse was doing with what was then known only as facilitated communication. She watched as the news of FC unfolded on national television. Knowing that her daughter was being challenged with several students with autism in her life skills classroom in Warren Township schools, she called Laura and advised her to go to Syracuse for this training. Laura received permission and backing from her principal and set out to Syracuse in the spring of 1992 to be one of the first in the country trained in teaching this new method. Seth Harrison was her first student to learn to type, It was not long before she had all of her nonverbal autistic students being supported in general education classrooms. Through all the years of negative publicity that followed, Laura remained true to the commitment of helping nonverbal individuals find their voice, and receive a general education. We are blessed to have her in our lives.
August 25, 1939 - May 26, 2017
John Smyth, one of Laura's typers, wrote this when he heard the news of Nancy's passing:
"Your powerful mom always, always loved the worst, walking challenged with loads of amazing energy and openness. In her we found life solely because she breathed belief into you and us. Little souls greeted her in heaven. God blessed us with her. She powerfully remains in you. Life's circle of love is complete."
Nancy and Laura's legacy of love and caring continues in the next generation through Bethany, Natalie and Chelsea.
Bethany was born at the time Laura was working with Seth. (Story has it that Seth became upset with Laura for a while because she did not name her daughter Doreen, which was the name Seth had selected for the baby.) Bethany recently graduated with a degree in Music Therapy and dedicated her free time to supporting nonverbal autistic children as a facilitator for the Access Academy in Evansville while in college. She is blessed with her mother's gift for discovering hidden voices.
Natalie is studying to be a nurse. We remember her sitting on her mother's kitchen floor crying while she read John's first essays. She submitted them for publication in the Carmel High School year book only to be disappointed when the powers that be at CHS refused to acknowledge John's writing.
Chelsea is majoring in sociology. She too, grew up in a home filled with children yearning to have their voices discovered. She offered friendship to those who had no real friends.
We at Saved By Typing pay tribute to Nancy Baughman. We honor and appreciate her. Our prayers are with her family at this painful time and know that she is smiling down on us from a very sacred place.
Rev. David Lee will conduct a graveside service on Tuesday, May 30, 2017 at 2:00pm at Hopewell Cemetery in Franklin. Flinn & Maguire Funeral Home is handling arrangements.