Episode Details

David interviews Heather Burroughs, a school psychologist and advocate shaped by growing up with an autistic sister and later fighting for her non-speaking daughter Devin, who has a rare genetic condition. Heather recounts an eight-year federal court battle after a school district refused to allow Devin’s service dog as a reasonable accommodation, spending major resources to argue Devin lacked competency; media attention, including a billboard, helped draw Department of Justice involvement. She describes how traditional services like years of speech therapy failed to unlock communication, while motor-based spelling/letter boards revealed Devin’s complex language and preferences, underscoring the “non-speaking is non-thinking” myth. The conversation centers on New York’s Communication Rights Bill, its national ripple effects, and concerns that added language requiring “validation” and full independence would undermine access, including for people in group homes. Heather’s tip urges shifting IEP narratives from deficits to what’s possible with support.

Topics

00:38 Meet Heather Burroughs

03:21 Advocacy Roots

05:10 From Shy to Seen

07:22 Why Systems Must Change

08:57 The Service Dog Fight

11:16 Courtroom Pressure Tactics

13:52 Discovering Spelling

17:20 Why Communication Rights Matter

21:03 Billboard Advocacy

22:48 How the NY Bill Started

27:00 False Accusations Myth

32:33 Therapy Gaps and Discrimination

34:04 Systemic Bias and Big Business

36:52 Deficit Talk Trap

37:58 ABA Incentives Clash

39:10 Unlocking Communication

44:12 Dysregulation Coaching

45:31 Rights and Enforcement

47:40 Resources and Rallying

49:03 Tip Shift the Narrative

53:02 Fact or Fiction Myth

56:25 Parent Confession Target

01:01:54 High Note Breakthroughs

01:05:26 Closing Thanks and Fight