Frequently Asked QUESTIONS

Spelled communication is a motor-based approach to communication for non-speaking, minimally speaking and unreliably speaking children and adults.

Spelled communication is for non-speaking, minimally speaking and unreliably speaking children and adults. Many spellers have complex autism, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy and other syndromes. It is recommended to start from around 8 years plus for maximum success. If your child is younger than 8, please reach out to discuss what is best for your child and family. 

Presuming competence means presuming that a child or adult is capable of learning and understanding even when they can not show their understanding due to motor challenges that may limit their ability to express their knowledge or understanding. 

No! Your family member likely already knows how to spell (and read) but due to whole-body apraxia has not been able to demonstrate their ability until now. Many spellers around the globe have learned to use spelled communication without being taught to spell first. We start with presuming competence.

Whole-body apraxia is often explained as a 'brain-body disconnect'. The person knows what they want to do but their body does not carry out the movement they want to make and sometimes appears to have a mind of its own e.g., a speller may walk away when they are interested in engaging. Many open spellers have spelled statements like, 'don't listen to my 'mouth words' or my body. I want to spell but my body betrays me by walking away'. You can learn more about whole body apraxia by visiting Dr Dana Johnson's channel on YouTube. 

No, typing well practiced familiar words and phrases into YouTube or a browser is a different motor-cognitive skill to expressing high cognitive thoughts, feelings, views and opinions in full sentences. 

We start all new spellers at the beginning of the motor continuum (typically on 3 boards that have the 26 letters of the alphabet spread across them), and we work on consolidating motor planning skills systematically moving up the motor-cognitive continuum until they reach 'open' communication (typically using a board, laminate or keyboard with all 26 letters). This ensures we build robust motor planning pathways to pave the way for high cognitive expression.

'Open communication' or being an 'open' speller, is when an individual can poke, point to or type words and sentences to express their unique thoughts, feelings and views, without any influential prompts. 

Prompting is about supporting the development of foundational motor planning pathways . In the beginning (acquisition phase) all five types of prompting (gestural, verbal directional, verbal initiation, verbal continuation and verbal eye prompts) are used to support the speller to develop motor skills for spelled communication.

As the speller’s motor skills and accuracy grow, prompts are faded to using only non-influential prompts - such as initiation, continuation and eye prompts as needed in the application phase. Fading prompts in the application phase is important to protect the reliability of the spelled communication by ensuring it’s not influenced by the Communication Partner. 

A core element of Spellers Method sessions is co-regulation and tailoring strategies to support success.

I ask for detailed information about your child/family member in the intake form to build a picture of their unique sensory motor differences, vision needs and how best to support them. I use this information to guide session structure, board selection and accommodations needed to meet their needs. 

I use continuous observation and assessment to respond in the moment and ensure safety and progress. 

I recognise that whole-body apraxia and sensory processing differences contribute to regulation and I take an approach that respects the speller and presumes competence in their desire to learn to spell and engage in sessions. 

I believe that listening doesn't have a look and use motor coaching and regulation strategies to support individuals to gain control over their movements to engage as fully as possible. 

Motor coaching is where verbal prompting, consisting of 'body part' plus 'action', is used to support a person to move their body intentionally. Sometimes it is also helpful to model the movement or offer tactile prompts (e.g., tapping the body part that needs to move) to support the person to begin and carry out the movement. 

Motor coaching is helpful for individuals with whole body apraxia who find initiating, executing and inhibiting intentional movement challenging.