Boho Speechie

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Boho Speechie

Owner of Total Spectrum Therapy - CA private practice focusing on working with gestalt language proc
(3)

23/03/2026

When supporting nonspeakers or minimally speaking autistic children, I always assume that the body is the barrier, meaning motor challenges are likely a huge factor contributing to their lack of speech.

13/02/2026

Not talking is not the same thing as not understanding.

We can’t accurately judge cognition until a child has reliable access to communication.

Start with access … then measure ability.

02/02/2026

moran2013

intonato

wordsofthenonspeaking

functioning.autism

23/01/2026

🤸🤸‍♀️🤸‍♂️ cartwheeling into uncharted territory as we learn from nonspeakers … wanna come along?

A reminder: supporting nonspeaking autistic people is evolving work. If it sometimes feels like you’re stepping into uncharted territory, that’s probably a good thing because:

• Nonspeakers are routinely excluded from research (so much of what we know comes from clinical experience and from nonspeakers themselves)

• Our understanding of autism + motor differences is still growing

• Ethical therapists listen to nonspeakers, learn from them, and adapt continuously

Some ways that I’m learning how to better support nonspeakers:

• trying to better understand praxis, motor planning, motor disorders…not something we’re taught about extensively as SLPs. But I’ve been learning from OTs like .therapies (her apraxic autism course) and YouTube channel as well as motor / apraxia research.

• following nonspeakers and their families who share their thoughts and experiences! I have a long list in another post, but here’s a few:

21/01/2026

“Modeling without expectation” works for a LOT of the kids I support, especially the gestalt language processors who fit a more “typical” GLP profile (have lots of language, just need help acquiring more and breaking it down).

But for the kids with motor-based communication differences (apraxia), they are going to NEED prompts and cues to learn new communication skills. And I find them getting lost because we’ve steered soooo far in the direction of “modeling without expectation is the only way”.

There has to be nuance.

20/01/2026

If “competence” is your aesthetic 👀

https://boho-speechie-shop.fourthwall.com/

20/01/2026

Talking to nonspeaking kids like they are human beings is a shift we can ALL make, today. So simple, but so impactful.

18/01/2026

Shared joy is my favorite therapy goal 🤸

When in doubt…start here!

01/01/2026

I’ve reframed my thoughts about this as I witness motor limitations / body control affect my students access to AAC, even though every single one of them can effortlessly find their favorite YouTube video on their parents iPhone.

Automatic motor is easy and effortless. Learning new motor plans to access a communication system that is complex and overstimulating at times, is hard.

Does that mean kids with motor planning challenges (apraxic bodies) can’t access high-tech AAC? Not necessarily. But many will struggle and other methods, such as spelling on a letter board, may be better fit for their needs.

We know AAC can be hard for these kids, but what do we do about it?

There isn’t a lot of information out there about supporting high-tech AAC for autistic kids experiencing whole-body apraxia. But I’m diving in as much as I can. Talking with other clinicians who understand apraxia and are having high-tech AAC success, as well as learning from nonspeaking AAC users.

I’m excited to keep sharing as I learn!

28/12/2025

🤍

28/12/2025

I value gestalt language processing and NLA deeply.

You all know I’ve been that gestalt language person for years.

But presuming competence means recognizing that not everyone who communicates primarily through memorized scripts is in NLA Stage 1. Many are already far beyond that internally—their output just doesn’t reflect it.

NLA works. I’ve had incredible success using it with kids who have more reliable speech.

But as my caseload has shifted toward more nonspeaking children with unreliable motor speech, I’m using it less and less.

Because for many nonspeakers, the barrier isn’t language development—it’s a brain–body disconnect. Spoken language may never be a reliable pathway, no matter how many gestalts we model.

And when we don’t consider that, nonspeakers can get lost in an approach that was never meant to be the only option.

This isn’t anti-GLP or anti-NLA. I love the approach.

It is a reminder that presuming competence sometimes means knowing when AAC—not more speech—is the support that allows a person’s internal world to finally be expressed.

💭 Thoughts? Questions?

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http://totalspectrumtherapy.org/

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