Meraki Collective Spellers

Tampa Bay Letter Board Community, Neuroshifts, and Meraki Collective are excited to invite you to a special event with doctoral students from Nova Southeastern University on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at 6 PM in Clearwater, FL.

After the overwhelming success of last year’s meeting, we have been invited back to continue this important conversation. This is a unique opportunity to engage with future medical professionals, deepen their understanding of spelling as a method of communication, and advocate for more inclusive approaches in healthcare.

•Event Highlights•
The doctoral students, primarily medical students, will have watched the Spellers documentary in preparation for our meeting. The evening will begin with insightful presentations from Evelyn Moldal & Vicky Westra, followed by a live Q&A session featuring Spellers in attendance.

•Event Details•

Location: 3400 Gulf to Bay Blvd, Clearwater, FL 33759

Date & Time: Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at 6 PM

Advocacy Opportunity
This event presents an incredible chance to influence the future of medicine by helping doctors better understand and connect with individuals who have motor and sensory differences.

•RSVP Request•
We would love for you to participate as a panelist for the Q&A session. If you’re available, please confirm your participation by Monday, March 28, 2025, by emailing [email protected].

For Spellers participating in the Q&A: Please prepare a brief introduction, including your name, how long you’ve been spelling, and any other details you’d like to share about your spelling journey.

Your presence and insights were invaluable last year, and we would love to have you join us again to make this event just as impactful.

Looking forward to another inspiring evening together!

Meraki Collective & Every Voice Matters are excited to announce that registration is now open for Part 2 of the Rhythm for Freedom series: Achieving Autonomy Through the Use of Rhythm with Suzanne Oliver!

This session will take a deeper dive into how rhythm supports sensory coordination, self-regulation, and autonomy—with practical tools you can implement right away.

If you haven’t completed Part 1 yet, no worries! You can still register and access the recording before attending Part 2.

Part 2: March 15, 2025 |  99 per person | Free for spellers
Part 1: Available via recording |  25 per person | Free for spellers

Virtual (with recording access for flexibility)

To register for Part 1, Part 2, or both, email: [email protected]

Share this with anyone who you think might be interested in attending!

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Ready to unlock a powerful tool for improving movement, communication, and autonomy? Join Suzanne Oliver, a leader in Neurologic Music Therapy, for an exciting and transformative series of training sessions: Rhythm for Freedom. Whether you’re a parent, practitioner, or professional, this series will explore how rhythm can impact brain function and enhance lives in as little as 3–5 minutes a day!

The flyers include all the details about the training sessions, including dates, costs, and registration information. The first two virtual sessions will also be recorded, so if the timing doesn’t fit your schedule, you can watch at your convenience.

The first session, Using Rhythm to Optimize and Regulate: An Introduction, is scheduled for February 8, 2025. It’s a prerequisite for all other sessions, so don’t miss your chance to register by emailing [email protected].

We’d love your help in spreading the word about this exciting opportunity! Share it with friends, colleagues, and anyone who could benefit from Suzanne’s transformative approach to rhythm.

Let’s harness the power of rhythm together!

Don’t miss Kelley Howe’s webinar this week, where she’ll share insights on how self-commands can enhance motor skills and promote greater independence for spellers. With practical strategies and a Spanish-translated session on October 25, it’s a great chance to deepen your understanding and support your speller’s journey!

✨Happening this week! ✨

Join Certified S2C practitioner and member of I-ASC's Practitioner Leadership Cadre, Kelley Howe, for an engaging session exploring the power of self-commands and their influence on motor skill development! Learn practical strategies to support your spellers in achieving better motor control and developing an internal locus of control.

Session 1: October 24 at 7 PM ET
Session 2: October 25 at 2 PM ET (with Spanish translation)
🎟 Register here: https://i-asc.org/event/supporting-self-commands/

Seize this opportunity to enhance your practice and support your spellers on their path to success! 🗓️

Image description: to the right is a photo of Kelley Howe smiling with text below her that reads: Kelley Howe Member of I-ASCs Practitioner Leadership Cadre. Text reads: webinar Supporting Self-Commands. Explore the power of self-commands and their role in motor skill development. Learn practical strategies to guide your spellers towards achieving greater motor control and cultivating an internal locus of control. Oct. 24 at 7pm ET, Oct. 25 at 2pm ET. Session 2 will include spanish translation.

Check out Ethan Nagy’s powerful blog, ‘Getting Too Close to the Sun,’ where he shares his honest journey through mental health challenges, OCD, and autism. Ethan’s raw storytelling sheds light on the importance of treating comorbidities and breaking the stigma around mental health medication. His resilience and recovery offer hope and inspiration to anyone facing similar battles.

"Giving hard truths wrapped in a beautiful dressing of words is sort of my thing. Having my words soothe the truth of my intent is my other “life skills.” I feel it necessary to address the stigma around medication to help with mental health in the autistic population. "

Read the rest of this powerful blog by Ethan Nagy, member of I-ASC's Nonspeaking Leadership Council: https://i-asc.org/getting-too-close-to-the-sun/

Wow, what an incredible honor! Congratulations to CommunicationFIRST for this well-deserved recognition at the White House! Jordyn, Tauna, and Bob are true trailblazers—so inspiring to see your work celebrated on such a meaningful stage. Keep leading the way for disability rights and communication access!

By the White House, a smiling Tauna Szymanski poses with AAC user Jordyn Zimmerman.

Our west coast friends need to check this out!

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/9PQdj5fmnjXxUGQ4/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Thank you CrimsonRise for sharing this video of reading a portion of Quincy’s essay from Lights in the Darkness. Your support means the world to us, and it’s wonderful to see you helping to spread the word about this anthology. By sharing these powerful voices, you’re playing a vital role in amplifying the stories and experiences of nonspeakers, and we’re incredibly grateful for that.

Every bit of exposure helps us move closer to a broader understanding and appreciation of the creativity, resilience, and depth within our community. Thank you for being part of this journey and for helping us shine a light on these remarkable voices. Together we are better ✨

Rebecca Cappellini ❤️

Congratulations Forging Friendships for putting together this wonderful anthology of spellers writings. Practitioner In Training Samantha Roccanova reads from this book. #spellers

Let's support Tampa Bay Letter Board Community with a purchase from Kendra Scott!

Everyone likes a little bling in their life from time to time, right!?! ✨
You can purchase in person on Sept 6th from 12pm-2pm or online from Sept 6-7 with their promo code.

🌟 Check out this stunning piece of jewelry Nico picked out for his cousin at our recent Kendra Scott Give Back event! 💍✨

You can find beautiful items like this for yourself or a loved one, and the best part? A portion of the proceeds comes back to TBLBC!

Don’t miss out on this chance to shine and support a great cause. Browse the collection and make a difference today! 🌟💖

Exciting News! F² ‘NextGen’ Online Meetup is Kicking Off Soon!

We’re thrilled to announce that the Forging Friendships (F²) ‘NextGen’ group is starting up on Friday, August 30, 2024! 🌟

F² ‘NextGen’ is a vibrant community of spellers aged 8 to 12 from all around the world, united by our love for communication through spelling and typing. Whether you’re just beginning your journey or have been spelling for a while, you’re welcome to join us for fun, connection, and creativity!

Here’s what you can look forward to:
🔹 Weekly 30-minute sessions
🔹 Mute and Type: All participants keep their audio muted, and communication happens through the chat box
🔹 Interactive Moderation: Our moderator reads aloud the comments typed into the chat box
🔹 Optional Video Participation: Being on camera is up to you
🔹 Speller-Driven Conversations: No fixed lesson plans—just authentic, fun interactions
🔹 Inclusive Environment: Everyone participates at their own pace

Some of our spellers have found that being part of F² helped them transition from listeners to active participants, motivated by the encouragement of their peers.

Meet our Moderator:
Joy Schneider-Scheu is a dedicated Spelling to Communicate (S2C) Practitioner and mom of three spellers. Joy brings her expertise in helping apraxic individuals develop purposeful motor skills and is committed to supporting each speller on their journey.

Join Us!
We meet every Friday from 2:30-3pm Eastern Time for a total of 8 weeks. You can sign up for a one-time 8-week round or choose a flexible monthly subscription that you can cancel anytime. REGISTER HERE https://www.merakispellers.com/forging-friendships

Interested in joining or have questions? Reach out to Joy at [email protected]. We can’t wait to welcome you to our NextGen spellers’ family!
💬