In this episode, Dr. Tay interviews Kaley Stymeist about “Spell to Communicate” (S2C), a method used to support non-speaking autistic children in expressing themselves. Kaley shares her journey with her son Hudson, who is progressing his communication through S2C after language regression. The discussion covers the methodology of S2C, emphasizing its neurodiversity-affirming approach and the importance of motor planning. Kaley also addresses common misconceptions and the need for structured training. Listeners learn where to find S2C practitioners and how to get started.
00:00 Introduction to Spell to Communicate
00:42 Meet Kaley Stymeist
01:03 Dr. Tay’s Background and Podcast Mission
02:20 Kaley’s Family and Autism Journey
03:07 Hudson’s Birth and Early Challenges
06:49 Discovering Spell to Communicate
15:38 Hudson’s Progress and Motor Planning
25:32 Starting with Presuming Competence
25:50 Introduction to Three Letter Boards
26:16 Transition to 26 Letter Boards
26:54 The Importance of Prompting
28:32 Building Motor Control and Accuracy
30:08 Progressing to Open Communication
33:18 The Goal of Spell to Communicate
39:09 Addressing Concerns and Misconceptions
44:50 Finding a Practitioner and Training
47:07 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
RESOURCES
⚡️ connect with Kaley on Instagram @kaley_and_3 and learn more about her S2C practice @autismsoulspeak
⚡️ find a local S2C practitioner >> https://i-asc.org/
⚡️ want to learn more about Dr. Tay’s Whole Family Approach and current services offered? visit drtaylorday.com
⚡️ join the Evolve Facebook community to participate in the episode Q+As >> facebook.com/groups/evolveautism
⚡️ learn from me and submit your questions [could be featured on a future episode] >>
*please note: in this episode, many terminologies and phrases are used to describe autism. Dr. Tay honors what each child and family prefers, and intentionally chooses to use affirming and identity-first language after listening to autistic adults and their preferences. various guests on the podcast are likely to use the language that they have been exposed to the most.