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While Spelling to Communicate is not currently a service covered by private insurance or Medicaid, there are other funding options that can be explored, such as possible county services and partial scholarships through I-ASC (International Association for Spelling as Communication) and the NAA (National Autism Association).
To learn more about partial scholarships, click here.
(For questions about possible county services, please fill out a contact form.)
Services
Parent/Caregiver Information & Intake Meeting
Before starting with a new speller, I meet virtually with parents and/or caregivers. (The speller is welcome to attend, too!) In this meeting, I provide an overview of Spelling to Communicate (e.g., reasoning behind taking a motor-based approach to communication, how the methodology works towards fluent communication, how practitioners presume competence, what progress looks like, and more), prepare families for the first session, and allow ample time for questions and discussion.
Spelling to Communicate 60-minute Session
Through engaging, age appropriate lessons, I work to motor coach the speller’s eyes, arm, hand, and fingers to purposefully poke letters on a letterboard to spell out answers. I also work with spellers to determine regulation strategies tailored to their specific needs so that stamina for spelling may increase over time. Activities related to the lesson are modeled for the speller and their families and practiced so that purposeful motor abilities can increase both on and off the letterboard. Parent coaching is also done at times to assess how progress is going outside of sessions. To round out sessions, I discuss home practice plans for the week and follow up with a session note so that families have their plan for the week in writing, along with any resources that may aid this practice.
Spelling to Communicate 30-minute Session
A 30-minute session is ideal for younger spellers (ages 4-10) or spellers who would like to build their regulation up to a longer session. The structure and content of a 60-minute session is adhered to, but adapted appropriately, for a 30-minute session.
Tutoring
Through collaboration with an Occupational Therapist, I work to help those with apraxia/dyspraxia demonstrate their knowledge of age appropriate curriculum and content. Tutoring sessions may be scheduled for 30-minutes or 60-minutes.