Reach Every Voice is a team of educators with decades of experience providing AAC instruction for nonspeaking and partially speaking autistic learners in Maryland. We offer one-on-one communication instruction, adapted grade-level curriculum, communication partner training, professional development for educators, and school consultation. Our practices draw from multiple evidence-based strategies, centered on a text-based, multimodal AAC approach that meets each learner where they are
Some communication approaches prescribe a rigid, step-by-step recipe for using their tools and instructional methods. At Reach Every Voice, we take a different path. Our practices are informed by multiple evidence-based strategies, drawing from a variety of sources to meet each learner where they are.
We know every student is unique — and most communicate in multiple and varied ways. That’s why our instruction centers on a text-based, multimodal AAC approach, empowering learners to express themselves authentically, confidently, and effectively.
Rooted Here. Reaching Further.
REV AccessAbility is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that has supported text-based multimodal communication since 2017.
We strive to provide access to more training, coaching, and practice opportunities and to work to make these more affordable for all stakeholders.
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
![There's this mistaken idea out there that people who talk about presuming competence believe that all nonspeaking kids are "locked in geniuses."
That's presuming KNOWLEDGE and it's not the same as presuming COMPETENCE.
We don't know what we don't know. A lot of times our students know so much more than we would suspect - because they've been listening to everyone talk about and around them for years - but there's a lot they don't know, particularly if they've been in a segregated classroom learning the same repetitive skills day after day for years on end.
So instead of assuming that they KNOW everything, we're assuming that they CAN LEARN anything.
This presumption of competence is the foundation of our Accessible Academics course. This is a self-paced, ten module course that starts with the ideas of presuming competence and understanding motor/movement differences and builds to explain and model how to adapt age-appropriate academic tasks for students who communicate by making choices.
Struggling on how to teach phonics to a nonspeaking student? We cover that.
Not sure how to have nonspeaking students with motor difficulties use visual representations to model math equations? (We see you GenX and Millennials who have NO IDEA about this new Common Core math...) We'll show you how to do that.
Stuck on how to give nonspeaking students a meaningful voice in the creative writing process? Yup. We do that, too.
Additionally, we have an entire module devoted to language you can use to ask for specific accommodations, supplementary services, and meaningful IEP goals that align to real objectives but are accessible to complex communicators.
The best part? Your course access never expires!
learn more or sign up at:
www.reacheveryvoice.org/accessible-academics-course
[image id: a gray background with teal and dark gray accents with a pop up "reminder" window that says presuming competence does not equal presuming knowledge]
#PresumeCompetence #NonspeakingAutism #AutismAwareness #AccessibleEducation #AdaptedInstruction #Educators #Teachers #SpecialEducationTeachers #AutismEducators #AutismTeachers](https://scontent-den2-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t39.30808-6/494399406_1264609139001364_3943271829463850224_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=101&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiRkVFRC5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=CiKkOXTAoncQ7kNvwGGBGVz&_nc_oc=AdqUe51bW8e5I1WgTxikF4YqB2wx6vY6xBZHKrIAoJT0lX8Cw1EmbN-o_sx7rs_83LE&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-den2-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=QLAEoSjD-IRzG1OV9ml70g&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQE5zVxl8xlBRhMryI5PobTPruOxNBZL7hwiwB0D7P20YfMNPssA-vI-3cX7fAJLY941CfaDuCEZ&oh=00_Af2JGerJSagfocXr17B7b-kFd8Wsb9IgBFiR5fMj31Gm8A&oe=69D74ED7)
![How much agency do your autistic students and loved ones have? The ability to be in control of our own choices is something most nondisabled people take for granted.
Ask yourself:
How am I teaching skills that lead to more agency?
How am I honoring my students' voices and wishes?
Do I ask permission before sharing words they spell or type?
How much of MY narrative is making its way into this student's story?
"Lots of the frustration in my life comes from being misrepresented by those supporting me. The life-changing act of controlling my own life story is not something I take for granted. My very hard won agency is my introduction to feeling more respected as an intelligent human who deserves privacy."
Nick Barry, REV Student
[id: Nick, a young man in a blue polo shirt is looking at a communication board. The text next to him are his own words, and are typed in white.]
#GoRedInstead #NonverbalAutism #PresumeCompetence #NonSpeakingDoesNotEqualNonThinking #Agency #Autonomy #Autistic #Autism #ActuallyAutistic #ReachEveryVoice](https://scontent-den2-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t39.30808-6/494151310_1263763952419216_1326368850865728830_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=104&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiRkVFRC5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=9r2dBkedyFoQ7kNvwHz6mi9&_nc_oc=AdpqbeVWHIREy-tX1T7rqHHbQxqsYDNT33VIk2YT7qq141Q0r4Pl5-Q4qwCg8_hFYGI&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-den2-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=QLAEoSjD-IRzG1OV9ml70g&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQEFvLltMI_Mjq18wr17Xs1VnEov7ZCTFZGXxnnvKG0-dztOPCZP2BWhDEQu4jtd91FkaJlUwPGD&oh=00_Af3eeJYvfVMGz6GySqXQTHZ-jAVVo4u7MZ_NkpKJxGT3qQ&oe=69D74F54)
![Our student Nick Barry has been asking his peers what they wished their teachers knew.
In his new series, "Dear Teachers," Nick shares his friends' words of wisdom for the educators working with nonspeaking and minimally speaking students.
Help us amplify their reach and share these posts.
Nick starts us off by sharing his own thoughts:
"Dear Teachers,
Hugely important to not equate speech with intelligence. If your students script and echo, believe they have the capacity for deeper thought and very real education, even if they can't yet tell you. You hold the literal keys to barriers that kept me from studying true topics in school: free others from counting and calendar time jail."
Nick Barry
REV Student
[id: a gray background with bold white letters reading "Dear Teachers" above a cutout of Nick, a smiling man with short dark hair and an olive green shirt. He is wearing a TASH presenter badge on Mardi Gras beads. Nick's words are printed in white next to him. The words "listen to all voices" and the reach every voice website are at the top of the image]
#DearTeachers #PresumeCompetence #CommunicationAccess #ReachEveryVoice #NonSpeakingDoesNotEqualNonThinking #InclusiveEducation #AutismEducation](https://scontent-den2-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t39.30808-6/494534761_1263451069117171_7363084148496941085_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=111&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiRkVFRC5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=XAVQPncfb_oQ7kNvwEfDpPY&_nc_oc=AdqLzfiessORHZsv5ELbV2aD9n_DssxRgs1ea8C73FigSIO5Ea-kfieQq-Uet__18LM&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-den2-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=QLAEoSjD-IRzG1OV9ml70g&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQHBXGEaDj-aLOWWi48Bz69J1b197qIgNUFqiH5AnyW0XB9DF9grqujT4-Y5zfEIGJKvX8vAA8YS&oh=00_Af3Itq4uvLm2zd4SjhsSShRl2AIevWKd_Eftc2Vhl0-CEA&oe=69D7485B)
![Sensory motor differences often get mistaken for behaviors. When we label them purely as "behaviors," we are insinuating that our students are being difficult. In fact, their sensory systems are causing problems in their ability to maintain regulation and focus in that moment.
"Yes, controlling my body is sometimes too hard and I jump out of my chair or vocalize loudly. But the teachers and students have come to understand that I'm not intentionally misbehaving, but rather temporarily losing the battle between mind and body. They know that I am always listening. I can be jumping up and down and if the teacher asks me a question, I hear it and answer."
Mike Keller, college student
[id: a photo of Mike sitting behind a laptop. The words from his quote are typed on the left half of the photograph]
#ActuallyAutistic #PresumeCompetence #NonverbalAutism #Autism #Apraxia #Dyspraxia #BrainBodyDisconnect #NonSpeakingAutism #ReachEveryVoice](https://scontent-den2-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t39.30808-6/491138390_1258729072922704_8642268041928778942_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=111&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiRkVFRC5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=1xaKrlLGLaIQ7kNvwEv2qyo&_nc_oc=AdpGxrDYL1ZH9KkAWn1JZsTLNUk30nDRyW8RiM8vXWECV7WedJvWHV-iQgdtncVLQ3s&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-den2-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=QLAEoSjD-IRzG1OV9ml70g&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQFY5WZf_9gG2Lqa0kcm5F2zefFC543RszOU_mHEsNsU4yu3lKDYJIhwrXlOX-85jLA61_eBAZaJ&oh=00_Af0oJrjaZsfKmrKTkr7MIIIlzwhhqzJMOpR_LC4wih-_ow&oe=69D738F6)
![So April begins tomorrow, and we just wanted to let you know we're going to continue to do what we always do at Reach Every Voice: continue to amplify autistic voices.
We believe in listening to ALL voices.
Check back with us throughout the month as we hold the mic up to the powerful words written by our students and community members.
[id: a black background with red and white quote accents. The words above are shared on the image along with the Reach Every Voice logo]
Hashtags for increased visibility.
#AutismAwarenessMonth #AutismAcceptanceMonth #NonVerbalAutism #GoRedInstead #Autism #AutismParents #AutismEducators](https://scontent-den2-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t39.30808-6/658993201_1562127699249505_6099938804362943240_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=107&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiRkVFRC5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=hlx5-EKs-VMQ7kNvwHsGW-Y&_nc_oc=AdrJTrjPLWx8jfCd8-utni9DoridpTbw9qxOy05WGt1se88GrbK96pELoEzLk4UwvtE&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-den2-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=QLAEoSjD-IRzG1OV9ml70g&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQGjxjw1zOyVhbfxCzb02Z7T1EhYdBoAcZLrQmXNOnk7nzYjdJh55CKP_3jFbb9KlLoJ72UkB8js&oh=00_Af1DqFAsSHvTnnVYj2lQz3BHFR8dguXW4gvezjjYv4PeTg&oe=69D7239E)
![“Until I learned to type my thoughts, the whole world believed my capacity to think and learn was far gone. Now that I can show otherwise my life is becoming more full.
My point is that my collection of sayings and songs has probably kept people from believing I am smart.
Until someone has a way to really communicate, take their scripts in stride and speak to them like they understand everything you say.
There's an excellent chance they do.”
- Nick Barry
#PresumeCompetence #CommunicationAccess
[id: a black and white photograph from behind of a young man pointing to a letter on a keyboard with his right hand, using a fidget with his left hand.]](https://scontent-den2-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t39.30808-6/627793056_1517241357071473_4265350791802936631_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=103&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiRkVFRC5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=ZQ_zO_wHcuoQ7kNvwGXHqcJ&_nc_oc=AdrE4WIbHaSyHiqYzNd8J9rXD0IZloY8Pp9mCtIhibnm60uAIxEW_U45Y0rSysp4XjM&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-den2-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=QLAEoSjD-IRzG1OV9ml70g&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQGlrZSEvvtoYiB-KnKDe91y17Z1WK-OYXS1x_EMSZAfTuK0gQh_nYxhD_5HbtN0XLnmkEFn4p_p&oh=00_Af0CnSuez_IM-Vv5A6ZWXW-9VJ7WYnTq8SxS8eNEhcej0Q&oe=69D736D7)
![Creating content that truly supports spellers can feel overwhelming. You don’t have to do it alone.
At REV, our Lesson Library includes 300+ thoughtfully designed lessons created with accessibility and communication in mind.
Each lesson is broken into manageable chunks and paired with a photograph or illustration, along with multiple levels of questions, including:
• choices
• predictable responses (fill-in-the-blank)
• a limited range of responses
• open-ended questions
From biographies and science to history, pop culture, and more — there’s a wide range of content to support diverse learners.
We’re also continuing to grow our collection of lessons available in Spanish.
Visit the link in our profile to explore the Lesson Library, or comment below and we’ll be happy to help.
[id: a graphic of a line drawing of a light bulb and text that reads “learn with us! Did you know? REV has more than 300 lesson in our lesson library!”]
#spellers #NonspeakingAustism #NonspeakingDoesNotEqualNonthinking](https://scontent-den2-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t39.30808-6/619652071_1507702954691980_5040497794920223270_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=106&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiRkVFRC5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=rNnupcwQi84Q7kNvwF3BSYa&_nc_oc=AdrWtmPTnjomkHgypMUAVcNEDGqZWl1JlboLyMnM79Viv70ZnmRGduRDLlLwrKwDHgc&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-den2-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=QLAEoSjD-IRzG1OV9ml70g&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQFJ5zwaoq4Kmdk-vYqNGp9IURt7n3WfuxCmTBphAZBlKmSsmVpRi1tIn2_NvXxxvhie1buRpTlt&oh=00_Af1TlYEhY5qQeyIH04MrlEL13vm9MgPv_T5VEoLvE-tkfA&oe=69D73209)
![They see a diagnosis. We see a person.
In Ethan's powerful words, we're reminded of the vast difference between fixing, training, and dismissing versus truly seeing, supporting, and empowering.
At REV, we've spent 10 years rejecting the deficit model. We don't try to make nonspeaking autistic individuals fit into neurotypical boxes. Instead, we create environments where autonomy thrives alongside necessary support.
This dual commitment—honoring independence while providing robust assistance—is at the heart of everything we do. Because presuming competence isn't just a philosophy; it's the foundation for meaningful connection.
This understanding of the power of autonomy is at the heart of our work, and it's so important to Ethan that he pitched an entire presentation to TASH's National Conference about it. We're heading to Denver tomorrow!
"MDs see me as someone to cure. BCBAs see me as someone to train to fit a neurotypical world. SLPs see me as someone incapable of real communication. But my REV teachers see me as someone capable of having so much autonomy thought I definitely need a lot of support."
Ethan Tucker
#AutisticVoicesMatter #PresumingCompetence #NeurodiversityAffirming #AutonomyWithSupport
[ID: A blue and white graphic featuring a quote from Ethan Tucker contrasting how different professionals view him versus REV teachers. The right side shows Ethan, a young man with short dark hair wearing a black shirt, leaning up against a window.]
📧 info@ReachEveryVoice.org 🌐 www.ReachEveryVoice.org](https://scontent-den2-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t39.30808-6/592400454_1462319775896965_4550759567413491670_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=108&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0FST1VTRUxfSVRFTS5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=HTX7snhmnVMQ7kNvwF3bMsO&_nc_oc=AdrPfqaOdn4drVPZtJQosLJL8xltwEw_N8-Y19bFvIBCKdXD8lXdX8P_epJgIpzDDTQ&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-den2-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=QLAEoSjD-IRzG1OV9ml70g&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQGkXW_Kr08Wi9MeMZOdZwH8NbadafoiW7RosQCd4BaNrnHAxMC6EZ-9cY1n1_7hQi8BheQTIGD8&oh=00_Af00madjiT9JWhX-Ya5i0K3m223GyQXDW1vDk3TQ09QHaw&oe=69D75295)