Photograph of many young kids standing looking at the camera. Boy in front is wearing a a red shirt with white text that reads " Not being able to speak is not the same as not having anything to say."My name is Jacob Bradley and I believe in opportunity for all people regardless of how they communicate.

I am an eleven year old boy who lives in my favorite green mountain treat of a state called Vermont.

I said a long time ago that I would not only be an real student In a school that supports me but also a self advocate for those lost in segregated settings echoing the dreaded lives of people in the world that are like me without the right supports.

Dreaded good natured folks that mean well but cannot seem to fathom that I extremely understand justice in the notion the kids all deserve to have mini Jeffrey in their lives.

Cogs in the wheel of my life keep me tolerating the mouthful of nearby naysayers who say that I cannot do it for I am autistic.

Not only can my sister Hope really dare to speak out in her writing but I can too find my voice in my classroom.

I feel great that you have asked me to do this, Mustang Jacob needs to be able to express the extreme frustration of not being so hopeless in my seat in the sixth grade good natured class.

Not only do I love swimming but I long to be youthful in my desire to be funny like Steven Colbert.

I not only want you to stop and think before addressing someone who is nonverbal with the same tone and consideration that you would a typical eleven year old boy.

It is the right thing to do.

Photograph of family of 5 smiling at the camera.

Jacob Bradley is an active and engaging eleven year old boy who uses total communication including point to boards, voice approximations, one shot messaging and supported typing to communicate. He lives with his parents Jeffrey and Jeanne and two sisters Hope and Jillian in Southern Vermont. Jacob loves to swim and participates inclusively in his school and community.