FAQs

General Questions

What does Spelling to Communicate (S2C) mean?

Spelling to Communicate (S2C) is a communication approach for non-speaking and minimally speaking individuals that allows them to express themselves by spelling words using a letter board, keyboard, or tablet. Instead of relying on speech, individuals communicate through purposeful pointing to letters.

S2C is based on the belief that many individuals understand language well but experience challenges with speech and motor planning. By reducing pressure to speak and supporting intentional movement, S2C helps individuals share their thoughts, needs, and ideas in a clear and respectful way.

Could my child benefit from Spelling to Communicate (S2C)?

Children who understand language but have difficulty speaking or using their voice may benefit from S2C. It helps them communicate thoughts, needs, and ideas by spelling, giving them a clear and independent way to express themselves.

My child is under 5—how can I help until S2C?

For young children, you can support early communication using gestures, sign language, or picture boards. These tools help your child express needs and ideas while building the language and motor skills needed for S2C later.

How do I get started with your center for my child?

To get started, you can contact our center to schedule an initial consultation. During this meeting, we’ll discuss your child’s needs, explain our programs, and guide you through enrollment and next steps.

My child communicates with AAC—what’s the benefit of a letter board?

Even if your child already uses AAC, a letter board can offer more flexible and precise communication. It allows them to spell words and sentences independently, express complex ideas, and participate more fully in conversations, supporting greater autonomy and confidence over time.

Why do you say “nonspeaking” instead of “nonverbal”?

Nonspeaking is an umbrella term for individuals who cannot use speech as their primary, effective, and reliable means of communication. Nonspeaking is inclusive of those who do not speak at all, are minimally speaking, or unreliably speaking.

The word “nonverbal” comes from Latin origin and means “without words.” We know our community has many beautiful words, they just don’t have speech to communicate their words, thoughts, and ideas. We believe that using the term “nonverbal” contributes to the widespread misunderstanding that nonspeaking individuals lack intelligence, which is not true.

What does minimally speaking mean?

A person who is minimally speaking may be able to use some speech to produce a number of words or phrases but does not have enough speech for robust and flexible communication. Minimal speech is often used for requesting wants and needs or providing short answers to questions.

What does unreliably speaking mean?

A person who is unreliably speaking may have the ability to speak, but is not always able to access their speech intentionally or communicatively. For example, they may repeat words someone else has spoken, use scripted phrases, or quotes from tv shows and movies. Sometimes unreliable speakers mean exactly what they say, many other times they do not. The key characteristic is that speech can’t be relied upon as a primary and consistent means of communicating complex thoughts, ideas and experiences.

Will using the letter boards improve my child’s speech?

Our focus is on communication versus speech. Research has consistently shown that use of AAC will not decrease speech and often increases speech. We have seen anecdotal evidence that one of the happy byproducts of using letter boards can sometimes be improved speech. Our purpose is to teach a reliable and effective means of communication. It is important to note that learning S2C is not incompatible with any other interventions you may choose to pursue as well.