“Speechless”: A Comedy That Includes Disability
"Speechless" has been picked up by ABC. "Speechless”, is a new comedy series about a family with three children, one of whom is a teenager named JJ who is non-speaking and uses a wheelchair. Yes, a sitcom on ABC about a family with a child who has a disability and communicates using AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication). And JJ won't just be featured in one episode to teach the other characters a lesson, but is an integral part of every episode. Just like real life. If seeing a family like yours on a major network wasn't enough, JJ is being played
A Vibrant Mind Hidden In Plain Sight
Martin Pistorius, author of the New York Times best-seller, Ghost Boy: The Miraculous Escape of a Misdiagnosed Boy Trapped Inside His Own Body delivers one of the most impressive and thought provoking Ted Talks ever. Martin Pistorius' story serves as an urgent call to action to change our assumptions about verbal speech and intellectual capacity. It also reinforces the absolute necessity to treat each human with dignity and respect. How many people are waiting right now for someone to acknowledge their means of communication? How many are waiting for someone to talk to them respectfully and then to listen and watch for subtle movements-
LOOPS
My body movement speed is not average. It is not in the mean. My thinking speed is. My thinking speed is faster than average. My body takes time to agree to cooperate with my mind. If my body chooses not agree to cooperate my thoughts remain my own. More anxiety less body cooperation. Less body cooperation more anxiety. Less anxiety more body cooperation. More body cooperation less anxiety. Excerpt from Wurzburg Seminar at Princeton University
Five Reasons You Need to Read ‘Ghost Boy’ by Martin Pistorius
For over ten years Martin Pistorius was trapped in his own body, fully cognizant, but unable to speak or move. He was surrounded by people who believed he was incapable of thinking and tried desperately to get just one person to notice. His story serves as a wake-up call for all of us to drastically change our assumptions about speech and intellectual capacity as well as the need to radically reform expectations and treatment of people with complex communication needs.
How Being Included Changed This Boy’s Life
Having opportunities to learn with everyone could access more opportunities for all.
The Importance of Opportunity
Dillan Barmache, a 14 year old autistic student, delivers his powerful 8th grade commencement speech using his iPad and brings the crowd to their feet.
Life for Lief ~ “See Me As Smart”
“Some people think that kids who are autistic can’t handle getting a transplant. Kids with autism can handle it.” Lief O'Neill
Ollibean and MyVoice Holiday Gift
‘Tis the season and we've teamed up with MyVoice for a special contest featuring TalkRocket Go or RocketKeys- two amazing communication aid apps for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. You choose the app that's right for you. To enter, simply subscribe to MyVoice Newsletter here . We will announce the winner on December 23rd. RocketKeys gives a voice to people with ALS, Aphasia, Autism, Brain Injury, Cerebral Palsy, MND, and Parkinson’s, using its customizable keyboards, accessible input, and sentence prediction. TalkRocket Go is the family-friendly communication aid that helps people with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury, Parkinson’s (and
Autistics Speaking Day – My Fingers Speak
Today is Autistics Speaking Day, a day to remind the world that we actually speak every day, even if we do it with our fingers.
Dr. Caroline Musselwhite Shares Strategies to Promote Literacy for ALL
Dr. Caroline Musselwhite addresses the topic of overall good literacy instruction. She presents information about how to teach students with significant disabilities using fairly common literacy instruction strategies. There are 11 short video posts to help you get started. She discusses the issues of AAC and suggests strategies that are easy to implement and highly effective. Keep Calm and Watch On…
How AAC and assistive tech make classrooms better for all : Paula Kluth
In 2009, I published an article in The Reading Teacher with my colleague, Kelly Chander-Olcott, titled “Why Everyone Benefits from Including Students with Autism in Literacy Classrooms”. One of the points we make in the article is that students with disabilities often bring assistive technology and augmentative communication into classrooms and, therefore, make them richer places to learn. Students with and without disabilities who are in classrooms that use AT and AAC regularly and creatively not only may get access to unique materials, but also get to learn about learning itself. They may be able to generate ideas for using
11 Year Old Jacob On The Right Thing To DO
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.
5 Ways to Elicit Language from PrAACtical AAC
PrAACtical Suggestions: 5 Ways to Elicit Language Without Asking a Direct Question SLPs love to talk, of course, but sometimes that works against us. Over-prompting. Jumping in to repeat the last question. Re-phrasing the previous comment. Nature abhors a vacuum and sometimes we just can’t stop ourselves.
Modeling, AAC Style
Modeling AAC Style - This is a strategy that is too powerful to ignore! Here’s why Aided Language Input is at the top of our list of skills that all clinicians should master: 1. It expands our sphere of influence 2. Other communication partners will imitate us. 3. If WE use it, then parents and teachers are more likely to as well.
The Power of Presuming Competence
"Thasya", a mini film by Dan Habib, highlights the power of presuming competence, differentiated instruction and augmentative and alternative communication. Inclusion works.
Disabilty and Civil Rights: Standing On the Right Side of History
"If we were to go back to the 1960s and we were to talk to those leaders who were vehemently against desegregation, we would hear the conviction in their voices of them stating why they believe their decisions and what they were doing to those children were just. Just as I believe that some of you and some of the board members that have spoken believe that their decisions are just. But, I fear that the Hillsborough County School Board is standing on the wrong side of history."
I Am Here To Make A Difference For My People
"I am here to make a difference for my people. I hope that you listen to what I have to say. I want people like you to stop judging me." Tres Whitlock
Because I Stood With Henry
Because I stood with Henry I am happier today and you should too. Henry not only got his rights, he proved that presumption of competence should be the default for every student.
Untitled
This is not directed at anyone in particular. It is about several people I’ve met throughout my life. I sometimes need to remind myself that being me means following my own agenda and not pleasing the ones who will not be part of my story.
AAC Helps Learners with Complex Communication Needs Reach Their Full Potential
" A lot of these kids end up not reaching their full potential because they suffer from low expectations. People think they don't speak well, so we shouldn't have them in the regular classroom, but a lot of the kids I work with, they're cognitively fine. They're perfectly capable. They just need a viable means of communication to really help them through that." Cathy Binger
Ariane Zurcher: Non-Speaking Autistic Woman Writes Book
Barb Rentenbach's funny, poignant and beautiful must-read book, I Might Be You: An Exploration of Autism and Connection, is now available as an audiobook.
PrAACtical AAC | Presuming Competence and Using The Least Dangerous Assumption
PrAACtical AAC's latest post on the importance of presuming competence.
Amy Sequenzia: Does it matter?
Should it matter that some of us are labeled intellectually disabled? Read the definitions, look at us in a realistic way and ask yourself; Does it matter? Aren’t we all worthy?
Everyone Communicates
One of our favorite resources for all things AAC!
Autistic Teen Uses Tech to Break Silence
A brilliant 16-year-old boy who has autism is breaking through his silence and making people realize what autistic kids can do. Ido Kedar has difficulty controlling his body, and he cannot talk.
The Most Important Information About AAC Use in the Classroom
Presumption of competence combined with support and collaboration from team members helps the learner with complex communication needs have a voice in the classroom.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay Stand Up for Inclusion
Presented and discussed will be the importance of inclusion and friendship for youth with disabilities. The cast and of the acclaimed feature documentary, Wretches & Jabberers will be joined by The National Center on Inclusive Education’s Mary Schuh, PhD, and Tampa advocate, 13 year old, Henry Frost.
April and Autism Acceptance at Tampa Theatre
Get your advocacy on. April and Autism Acceptance is in Tampa. The rock stars of disability advocacy- Tracy Thresher and Larry Bissonnette- are back.
Ollibean Art for Change at USF: April. Autism. Advocacy. Acceptance.
A day of inclusive education, community acceptance, and self-advocacy at USF with Academy Award Winning Director and Stars of the Acclaimed Documentary Wretches & Jabberers, NCIE's Mary Schuh, PhD, and Tampa advocate Henry Frost. CARD (The Center for Autism and Related Disorders) at the University of South Florida) will host at USF's Marshall Hall.
Ten Things I wish My Teacher and SLP Knew about AAC : Pat Mervine
Pat Mervine has a great website and is the author of "How Katie Got a Voice (and a cool new nickname)" . I wish..... the entire team would be trained in how to program and use my AAC system. My "voice" shouldn't be taken away from me just because an adult is absent or busy. Oh, and a good back-up system would be much appreciated for when my device goes down. my AAC device would be charged (if electronic) and positioned for me to use it all times. Other kids can talk all day -- at recess, lunch, on the bus,
Ido In Autismland
We love Ido In Autismland, a blog by Ido a young autistic advocate who types to communicate.
It is About Respect
Respect for one another is one basic quality if we want to have meaningful conversations and relationships with other human beings. The ableism that disabled people experience is a form of disrespect.
My Top Ten
These are the top 10, now top 18 things I need for teachers, therapists, doctors, friends and family to know.
My iPad Is Not a Toy
Please never refer to my iPad as a toy. It is not. It is my voice. Imagine if you could not speak with your mouth how important your iPad voice would be.
Words to Live By
"Not being able to speak is not the same as not having anything to say". Rosemary Crossley
An Ethnographic Investigation of African American Mothers’ Perceptions of Augmentative and Alternative Communication
The purpose of this study was to investigate fourteen African American mothers' perceptions of the utilization of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) by their children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The authors used ethnographic metho
Use Your Words: Non-Verbal, Speech, and AAC
I see a little girl every week at events that my child attends. She's great. She's nine years old, has a fantastic laugh, and a mischievous sense of humor. She loves puddles, chocolate cake, and apples. She has a small crush on my son. She's also non-ver
I Am
How do you talk to someone who uses AAC?
Autistic Student Wins the Right to Go to School
Henry Frost had a pretty simple goal: he wanted to go to school like any other kid.
Why is a 13 year old protesting in order to go TO school?
How did we get here? How did we get to a point that our 13 year old son has to fight for the rights that are already his under federal law? How did we get to a place where a pretty reserved kid has the courage, the will, to do this?
Bureaucrats
You look at me But you don’t see me You talk about me but not to me You think you know all about me But you deny my humanity You think I don’t have wishes You believe I don’t have plans You don’t respect my basic rights According to you I should be grateful That I have a place to sleep That I have three meals a day If I say I want to go out You ignore me To you I am only a burden Too disabled to have an opinion To you I don’t count as a person
Amy Sequenzia : Friendship and Respect
It is a mistaken idea that we, autistics, lack empathy. It is also a myth that we are not social. My friends and I, we understand and respect differences. And we understand that we all have a lot to contribute, in a diversity of manners.
Amy Sequenzia: “Storm”
"Storm" a poem by autistic self-advocate Amy Sequenzia.
Ollibean Talks to Ray Ellis, director of “Certain Proof: A Question of Worth”
"All of these children have one thing in common. They were always having to prove themselves, over and over and over again." Ray Ellis
Change Leader: Richard Attfield
Richard Attfield, a contributing author to "Autism and the Myth of the Person Alone", is passionate about the rights of children with disability labels to have equal access to education and communication supports.
Change Leader Questionairre: Richard Attfield
Change you would you like to see in your lifetime? "The end of discrimination towards children/people with disability labels. And the human right of communication implemented fairly. " Richard Attfield
Florida Alliance for Assistive Services and Technology ( FAAST)
About FAAST Our Mission is to improve the quality of life for all Floridians with disabilities through advocacy and awareness activities that increase access to and acquisition of assistive services and technology. We value each individual's right to achieve their highest potential and the possibilities that can be realized through collaborative efforts focused on the goal of improving life for Floridians with and without disabilities. FAAST has worked with thousands of people with and without disabilities throughout the state to provide: Hands on assistive technology demonstrations and trainings Financing for assistive technology purchases Assistive device lending programs Community outreach to rural and
Amy Sequenzia: “Just Me”
Amy Sequenzia writes about rejecting society's many labels. Perceptions such as “super spectacular” autistic and “low-functioning” are equally harmful .
With mind-reading speller, free-for-all conversations that are silent and still
Researchers have come up with a device that may enable people who are completely unable to speak or move at all to nevertheless manage unscripted back-and-forth conversation. The key to such silent and still communication is the first real-time, brain-sc
Change Leader: Larry Bissonette
Our first Change Leader is artist and disability rights advocate, Larry Bissonnette. Larry's art, writing, presentations, and films are changing perceptions about disability around the world. His quote in Wretches & Jabberers, "More like you than not" says it all.
Outing The Prejudice: Making The Least Dangerous Assumption
We highly recommend this brilliant article by Zach Rossetti and Carol Tashie on their interpretation of Anne Donnellan's concept of presuming competence, the least dangerous assumption.
MyVoice AAC
MyVoice is a new app, available for Apple and Android devices, that helps people with a variety of speech and language challenges communicate more quickly and easily. MyVoice has groundbreaking features like location-awareness, downloadable phrase books and wireless customization from any web browser. With its lifelike voices and beautiful interface, MyVoice is the affordable communication aid app you've been waiting for. MyVoice is changing the world, one voice at a time. It can be a vital aid for children and adults living with: • ALS • Autism Spectrum Disorders • Aphasia, Apraxia, Ataxia, Dysarthria • Brain Cancer • Cerebral Palsy
Interview Kate Winslet Golden Hat Foundation
Kate Winslet discusses her inspiration for the Golden Hat Foundation.
HALO
MISSION Helping Autism Through Learning and Outreach is a non-profit organization supported by parents and professionals nationwide who are dedicated to the use of Soma® Mukhopadhyay's Rapid Prompting Method for improving academic success and communication for persons with autism and similar disorders. http://www.halo-soma.org
Communicate with Me | Savarese
Last year Dr. Sanjay Gupta of CNN wanted to talk to me so much that he flew me to New York and got me a room at the fanciest hotel in the city, but ironically at my school, most kids choose not to talk to me at all. Why is that? Recently I surveyed some of my close friends and discovered that most people aren't sure how to talk freely to me, and I greatly decided to use their questions as the basis for this piece.
iPad Summer Institute
Blog on the topic of assistive technology, eLearning, mind mapping, project management, visual learning, collaborative tools, and educational technology Presenters Brian S. Friedlander, Ph.D. & Christine Besko-Maughan, M.S., ATP July 10, 2012 Enhancing A
FREE 2012 Accessible Technology Webinar Series
The Great Lakes and Pacific ADA Centers on behalf of the ADA National Network are pleased to announce the 2012 Accessible Technology Webinar Series.
1Voice – Communicating Together
"A world where the voice of every child and adult, however they communicate, is listened to and heard" 1Voice takes a family and social perspective on communication and recognises the great need for adult role models to inspire children and families alike. 1Voice promotes families supporting each other to overcome the isolation that being unable to speak can bring.
On To College : Autism Research Institute
I want to live where I feel safe and free to be myself without the stress of having to act normal. Home is safe because my mom and dad make me feel hopeful that changing people's attitudes toward nonspeaking autists is possible. As I go to college, I am hoping to create a really supportive community of fresh-thinking people who view me as caring and created as equal.
Ralph James Savarese | essayist, poet, scholar, and activist
Ralph James Savarese is the author of Reasonable People: A Memoir of Autism and Adoption (Other Press 2007), which Newsweek called a “real life love story and a passionate manifesto for the rights of people with neurological disabilities.” It won the Independent Publishers Gold Medal in the category of health/medicine/nutrition, and a chapter was selected as a “notable essay” in the Best American Essays series of 2004.
Sign up and Ollibean gives to a child in Nepal. It’s that easy.
Want to help kids in Nepal? We’re making it super easy. For every person that joins our community we will donate $2 to support children in Nepal.You can also enter for a chance to win an iPad**. Now share this with everyone you know and show the world how easy it is to make a difference.
Team Hoyt
Team Hoyt is an inspirational story of a father, Dick Hoyt, and his son, Rick, who compete together in marathons and triathlons across the country. Team Hoyt strives to help those who are physically disabled become active members of the community. .
New Voices Foundation
New Voices is a short-term, intensive, individualized educational program for elementary-aged children with physical and communicative disabilities. Inclusion in all aspects of school, home and community life with transition back to a local school is our guiding philosophy. New Voices will: · Provide an educational program to increase literacy and communication skills (following the NC Standard Course of Study) · Equip and support students in the most advanced communication technology appropriate to their unique needs · Provide specialized, in-depth assessment and intervention · Provide supplemental healthcare maintenance and support, and ensure each child has a medical home · Maximize student’s
Apps in Education
Greg Swanson is a Visual Arts teacher who is interested in Computer Integration, Web 2.0 and engaging students in their own learning through innovative technology and collaborative classroom practices. One of the hardest thing with using the iPad in the classroom is finding the time to go through all of the apps in the iTunes Store listed under the education banner. Apps in Education has started to list some of the apps they've found under each of the Key Learning Areas.
The Family Center on Technology and Disability
The Family Center on Technology and Disability (FCTD) is a resource designed to support organizations and programs that work with families of children and youth with disabilities. We offer a range of information and services on the subject of assistive and instructional technologies. Whether you're an organization, a parent, an educator, or an interested friend, we hope you'll find information that supports you in your efforts to bring the highest quality education to children with disabilities.
RESNA
Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) RESNA's goal is "To maximize the health and well being of people with disabilities through technology." The purpose of RESNA is to contribute to the public welfare through scientific, literary, professional and educational activities by supporting the development,dissemination, and utilization of knowledge and practice of rehabilitation and assistive technology in order to achieve the highest quality of life for all citizens.
Stories From The Road | Chapter Eight | “On Common Ground”
"On Common Ground": While in Houston to speak to teens at "Stand Up! For Inclusion" a conference aimed at inspiring youth to make a difference in the world, Larry takes time to exchange creative ideas with a young artist.
Stories From The Road | Chapter Thirteen | “The End Of The Road”
"The End Of The Road": Larry and Tracy take time to reflect on their spiritual journey of disability awareness as they prepare for the theatrical premiere if their film, "Wretches & Jabberers" in New York City.
Stories From The Road | Chapter Ten | “Apple Store Adventures”
"Apple Store Adventures": While in New York City to promote the theatrical release of the film, the Vermonters take an opportunity to visit the Apple Store and try out the new iPad 2.
Stories From The Road | Chapter Seven | “Stand Up! For Inclusion”
"Stand Up! For Inclusion": Larry, Tracy, Harvey & Pascal speak to teens in Houston at the 26th Annual BBYO Lonestar Convention. The theme of this year's convention is "Stand Up! For Inclusion" to inspire youth to make a difference in the world around them.
Stories From The Road | Chapter Twelve | “All That’s Newsworthy”
From our friends at Stories from the Road, "All That's Newsworthy": Larry and Tracy join director Gerardine Wurzburg on the WPIX Channel 11 Morning News to discuss the upcoming theatrical release of their documentary 'Wretches & Jabberers'. The guys get the star treatment as they share their experiences with anchor Jim Watkins.
Stories From The Road | Chapter Eleven | “Teaching The Teachers”
"Teaching The Teachers": The Vermonters are invited to speak at Teachers College at Columbia University. A subway ride brings them to their destination as they find open minds, caring hearts, and an invitation for beer!
Stories From The Road | Chapter Six | “Mile-High Marvels”
"Mile-High Marvels": Larry, Tracy, Harvey & Pascal are asked to speak about their experiences making "Wretches & Jabberers" at the 35th Annual TASH Conference held in Denver, Colorado.
Stories From The Road | Chapter Five | “A Small World After All”
More from the amazing W & J and State of the Art/Dan Curl. "A Small World After All": Tracy invites Finnish friends Henna and Antti to join him at his monthly task force meeting at Community Developmental Services in Barre, VT. Here other people with autism advocate for people with communication challenges, quality of life initiatives, and increase public awareness.
Stories From The Road | Chapter Four | “Breakfast at Larry’s”
From our friends at Wretches & Jabberers, "Breakfast at Larry's": Larry invites visiting international friends Chammi, Antti & Henna to his home for a traditional Vermonter breakfast. With the help of his sister Sally, Larry hosts a meal not soon forgotten!
Stories From The Road | Chapter Three | “Wretches Reunite”Stories From The Road | Chapter Three | “Wretches Reunite”
"Wretches & Jabberers" co-stars from Finland and Sri Lanka descend upon Burlington, Vermont to visit Larry and Tracy and discuss how the film has impacted their lives.
Stories From The Road | Chapter One | “A Night With The Stars”
"A Night With The Stars": Larry, Tracy, Harvey & Pascal take to the road to promote a new documentary titled "Wretches & Jabberers" following their recent "World Intelligence Magnified Tour". Their first stop is Syracuse, NY where they meet with the Disability Cultural Center Initiative at Syracuse University and answer questions about the film.
Stories From The Road | Chapter Two | “Syracuse International Film Festival”
"Syracuse International Film Festival": Larry, Tracy, Harvey & Pascal on the road to promoting "Wretches & Jabberers" following their recent "World Intelligence Magnified Tour". Their second stop was Syracuse, NY is to present the film and their personal narratives at the Syracuse International Film Festival.
60 Minutes: Studying Autism and iPads
Canadian professor Rhonda McEwen studies the use of iPads by autistic children in Toronto's Beverley School. She tells 60 Minutes Lesley Stahl that progress is slow, but learning to "play with language" is the first step.
Apps for Autism on 60 Minutes
People with autism whose condition prevents them from speaking are making breakthroughs with the help of tablet computers and special applications that allow them to communicate, some for the first time. Lesley Stahl reports.
Carly Fleischman on 20/20
Carly Fleischmann, on 20/20 in 2009. Carly is diagnosed with autism and types to communicate. She is an incredibly intelligent self-advocate who is helping change how the world sees people who communicate differently. We are huge fans! Please check out her website for more information http://carlysvoice.com.
Institute on Communication and Inclusion
The Institute on Communication and Inclusion (ICI) is a research and training center that is part of the Inclusion Institutes of the School of Education at Syracuse University. Formerly the Facilitated Communication Insitute, our new name - the Institute on Communication and Inclusion - represents a broadened focus developed over the past 20 years, reflecting lines of research, training and public dissemination that focus on school and community inclusion, narratives of disability and ability, and disability rights, as well as research and training on faciltiated communication. Its initiatives stress the important relationship of communication to inclusion. Led by Director
University Students Design Tray to Fit Most Walkers and Wheelchairs
THE GRAND RAPIDS PRESS At 5 years old, Dakota Tomac wants to do things himself. He doesn’t want his cerebral palsy to require others to carry his book or figure out how he will get his lunch on the table. His independent spirit got a boost with a tool created by Grand Valley State University students, thanks to an idea from a physical therapist at the Kent Intermediate School District. The students made a tray that fits onto Dakota’s walker so he could move around at school and carry his iPad, which helps him communicate. “It’s so
Certain Proof – A Question of Worth
Certain Proof: A Question of Worth is a feature documentary about three children living with significant communication and physical disabilities, who struggle against the public schools in an emotional battle to prove their worth.
Thank You, Steve Jobs
Thank you Steve Jobs for thinking differently so that so many others may express their thoughts. Apple's products have changed the lives of so many people with disabilities - CP, autism, dyspraxia, motor planning issues, developmental delays, neuromuscular disorders, expressive language disorders, vision impairments. My son uses his iPad and iPod as a communication device, a way to surf the internet, watch youtube, and connect with friends. Until Apple came out with the ipod, the choices in AAC devices were very expensive ( the ones we looked at were between $5,000 and $8,000 and heavy- too heavy for someone that
A Few of Our Favorite Things
There are so many products, doctors, therapies, and places out there that can help. Here's a list of some of our favorites. We'd love to know what your Favorites are and why. Shoot us an email at olli@ollibean.org and spread the love.
