• Communication Interaction and Autism Acceptance, Amy Sequenzia, Ollibean Logo

Communication, Interaction, and Autism Acceptance

If you've read enough of my writings, you know that I am an activist for the rights of all people - especially Autistic people - to communicate using whatever method it works for each individual. Communication and Autism Acceptance Everybody communicates. Communication doesn't need spoken words. Communication doesn't need words at all. Behavior is communication. Smiles, looks, our bodies - those are used for communication and they are as valid as any word. I can type, and I like to type. Even if typing is exhausting, I still use this method to speak out. Interaction and Autism Acceptance But I

  • Text : Speechless Ollibean Must Watch. The family in the comedy "Speechless" standing by van.

“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

  • Photo of a girl holding a sparkler. Text reads: Active listening is paying attention to all possible ways of communication an Autistic child uses. Amy Sequenzia on Ollibean

Parents, Are You Listening To Your Child?

As a non-speaking Autistic, I pay special attention to comments and statements made by parents of other non-speaking Autistics, especially children. Many times I see parents lamenting that they will never listen to their Autistic child say "I love you", or how much they long to hear those words.

Apple Celebrates Autism Acceptance Month with “Dillan’s Voice”

Autistic high school student Dillan Barmache,  has so much to say and people around the world are listening. "Dillan's Voice" can be seen on Apple's website in celebration of Autism Acceptance Month. Apple has chosen Acceptance over Awareness and it's a big deal. Why ? Because 16 year old Dillan Barmache communicates using an iPad, you don't see that in the mainstream media every day. And because Autism Acceptance Month was started by #ActuallyAutistic people. ( You can read more about it's evolution  from organizer Paula Durbin-Westby ) The world is listening  and it's so exciting. Not being able to speak doesn't mean you don't have a

  • Blurred photograph of Mt. Everest, text reads" A VIBRANT MIND HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT, Martin Pistorius . Ollibean logo, Ollibean and outline of a circle made up of equal signs of various shapes and sizes

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-

Being Comfortable In My Skin

When I shared my post "Celebrating My Life" one commenter pointed out that “very few people are as comfortable in their skins” as I am. This got me thinking about what makes it possible for me to not only be ok being me, but to be proud of who I am. What makes me an unapologetic, unabashed, proud disabled woman? According to followers of the medical model of disability – most doctors and all the self-proclaimed “experts” – I have a long list of “devastating”, “severe” and even tragic deficits and impairments. Their “deficits list” would look like this: Non-speaking

Celebrating My Life

Celebrating My Life  Amy Sequenzia won't stop celebrating her autistic, disabled life. le I am writing this prompted by something John Elder Robison (I will refer to him by his initials, JER) wrote about Autism Awareness/Acceptance Month, in particular this quote:  “We may have gifts too, but disability remains the basis for diagnosis. Some autistic people are rendered non-speaking by their    condition, and I can’t imagine who would celebrate that. Others live with significant medical complications like epilepsy. I’ve yet to meet anyone who celebrates that either.” I commented that JER does not have to “imagine”. I am here, I celebrate being non-speaking, I celebrate

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.

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

We Are Not In Our Own World

We need to be careful about how we think about and talk about people with disabilities. One example is the reference that those who are autistic or deaf or blind or have some sort of movement differences are “in their own world.”

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.

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.

  • Self-advocacy Road trip 2012 all of a kind

Self-Advocacy, Inclusion, Communication, and Friendship Roadtrip 2012

Our three week Roadtrip has begun. Syracuse, then on to New Hampshire and the Autism Summer Institute.

Utterly Mark : A Vermonter with autism makes his inner voice heard through film

Mark Utter sits at a computer keyboard with a broad, toothy grin, his eyes closed and head cocked slightly, as though he were listening to a muse whispering in his ear. After a long pause, he opens his eyes and, with slow, deliberate movements, pecks at the keys with a single, outstretched finger.

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

  • HALO Helping Autism Through Learning and Outreach

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

I Believe by Will Scheutze

They had no idea how much I know and I didn’t think they believed I was smart.   They thought that functional was more important for me to learn than academics. I didn’t like that, so I never did good work and so they thought I couldn’t sort forks. I know how functional is important in life, but nobody knows how important the academics are to me.   I just want to be able to learn more and be able to go to college. I think I can do that. My teachers made me believe I can do that. I never believed

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.

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.

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