Episode Details

Imagine understanding every word around you while the adults talk over you like you're not even there — and not having a reliable way to communicate until you're almost 19. That's part of Jordyn Zimmerman's story. Jordyn is an autistic woman who is non-speaking and a full-time AAC user, and in this conversation she shares, from lived experience, what will change how you show up in your classroom.

Communication is a basic human right. It is never something a student has to earn, and there are no prerequisites for AAC. None.

We talk about why a lack of speech is not a lack of language, what an AAC-rich environment really looks like, the difference between requesting systems and robust language-based AAC, and what "presume competence" actually means as an action, not just a phrase. Jordyn also shares her advocacy work and the simple, powerful truth that every learner deserves a way to comment, question, joke, disagree, and tell their own stories.

A quick heads up before you listen: Jordyn prepared some answers ahead of time and responded to others in real time, so you'll hear pauses between each question and Jordyn's answer. I challenge you to resist the urge to fast-forward through the wait time. Sitting with that silence is one of the most important skills of a good communication partner — in this episode, and in your classroom.

We'll talk about:

• why a lack of speech is not a lack of language — and non-speaking is not non-understanding
• why communication is a basic human right, not something a student earns
• the real differences between PECS, core boards, and robust language-based AAC
• what an AAC-rich environment looks like, and why it's hard to build in separated settings
• what "presume competence" actually looks like in daily practice
• Jordyn's advocacy work — and why there are no prerequisites for AAC

In This Episode, You'll Learn

• What Jordyn wishes the adults around her had understood about supporting AAC users
• Why consistent, individualized access to a communication system matters from the start
• How to build an AAC-rich, language-rich environment that goes beyond the device
• Why PECS is a requesting system, and what robust AAC makes possible
• How autonomy, choice, and agency separate true communication from requesting alone
• What presuming competence means as an action, including offering robust vocabulary from the beginning
• Why we shouldn't limit a student's vocabulary until they've "proven" competence
• Why honoring wait time is a core communication-partner skill

Key Takeaways

• Communication is a basic human right, never something a student earns
• There are no prerequisites for AAC — none
• A lack of speech is not a lack of language; non-speaking is not non-understanding
• Robust, language-based AAC offers autonomy; requesting systems alone do not
• An AAC-rich environment models language in every way, not just through the device
• Presume competence by offering robust language access from the very beginning
• Honoring wait time is part of being a good communication partner

Try This

• Resist the urge to fill silence — give real wait time and let the person respond
• Model language through AAC, not just spoken words, throughout the day
• Offer robust vocabulary from the start instead of waiting for "proof" of readiness
• Build an AAC-rich environment so every child both hears and sees language
• Look f