Our Mission

Give Me A Voice was written to finally give parents and clinicians a step-by-step guide on how to use a mobile device or picture exchange in order to provide a learner with a voice and encourage verbal speech.

The Inspiration for Give Me a Voice

I was inspired to write Give Me A Voice after reading the book Carly’s Voice, which chronicles a young woman with Autism on her journey to find her voice by learning to type. I had long believed that inside my non-verbal students lied deeper thoughts, feelings and beliefs that they were unable to express. I always wondered what it might be like to sit down and have a conversation with each of my students. After reading Carly’s Voice I searched for a guide, manual or book to provide a step-by-step explanation of how to teach someone how to type to communicate. I found nothing. Then I searched for a book to describe how to teach a person with Autism to use an iPad or other mobile device to communicate thinking surely that must exist with so many people providing therapy using an iPad. Again, nothing. I was shocked. So many people were using mobile devices such as an iPad, but how was a parent, or even a clinician, suppose to utilize this technology to have a breakthrough like Carly’s?

In Carly’s case, she had a team that seemed to uncover her needs through a mix of skill and luck — but what about other families who didn’t have access to these resources? From that pivotal moment, I set out on a journey to put together a guide that contained basic language and easy to read step-by-step instructions in order to fit this need. My goal was to provide parents and clinicians the very resources I was unable to find and bring communication within reach of those students I so desired to hear.