Episode Details

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. As we get ready to kick off AAC Awareness Month on October 1st, I'm bringing back one of my most meaningful conversations for this special encore episode. I'm joined by Jordyn Zimmerman, an autistic woman who is non-speaking and a full-time AAC user. Jordyn shares her lived experience with communication, education, and what it means to truly presume competence. Jordyn didn't have access to robust AAC until she was 18 years old. In this conversation, she shares what she wishes the adults around her had understood, why communication access should never have prerequisites, and what educators, therapists, and families can do differently for the nonspeaking autistic children in their lives. In this episode, we talk about:

• Why a lack of speech is not a lack of language — and nonspeaking does not mean non-understanding
• Why communication is a basic human right, not something a child has to earn
• Why there should be no prerequisites for access to AAC
• The differences between PECS, core boards, and robust language-based AAC
• What an AAC-rich environment can look like
• What it really means to presume competence in our everyday interactions
• Why we shouldn't limit a child's vocabulary until they've "proven" they're ready for it
• The importance of autonomy, choice, and agency in communication
• Why communication needs to go far beyond requesting — our kids deserve to comment, ask questions, joke, disagree, tell stories, and show us who they are
• Why wait time is such an important skill for communication partners
• Jordyn's advocacy work and what she wants educators, therapists, and families supporting nonspeaking autistic children to know

Jordyn's perspective is such an important reminder as we head into AAC Awareness Month: communication is so much more than speech. Every person deserves to be heard, respected, presumed competent, and given access to a reliable way to communicate. Whether you heard this conversation when it originally aired or you're listening for the first time, I can't think of a better conversation to revisit as we begin a month dedicated to AAC awareness. Related Resources & Links Jordyn Zimmerman Website Jordyn's documentary

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