Autism Studio

The Autism Studio at Acton ELI is a revolutionary new program that seeks to unlock this highly intelligent, grossly misunderstood population. By offering an educational environment that will tap into the deep and complex thoughts, ideas and inner lives of non-verbal autists, the trajectory of their lives (and ours) will be forever changed.

Utilizing an emerging, innovative communication modality called Spelling to Communicate (S2C), autistic students will learn to express their thoughts, ideas and feelings, thereby “tapping into” their inner world.

S2C is a program designed to support communication for nonspeaking, minimally-speaking, and unreliably-speaking individuals with sensory-motor differences. While the motor skill of speech may be a challenge for this population, we know that their language is intact.

Through S2C, we teach those with motor difficulties to coordinate their brain and body to communicate by spelling. This practice builds new neural pathways in order to create an alternative outlet for communication.   As students practice these motor skills, they grow from pointing to letters on letterboards to typing on keyboards — many spellers have even gone on to write books and create blogs expressing a common thread in their experiences.

They are all trapped inside a body that is disconnected from their brain. In other words, their mind understands everything, but they cannot get their body to do what they want it to. They are trapped, locked in, with no way for anyone to understand that their cognition/intelligence is completely intact. Until now.

The unrealized potential in this population is enormous. The Autism Studio at Acton ELI is the first program of its kind to presume intelligence and offer curriculum that will enable autistic individuals to bring their gifts to the world.

Andrea Libutti, the founder and head of Acton ELI says, “I have witnessed the profound insights and abilities of non-verbal autists using S2C and it is almost incomprehensible how they know what they know. They have so much to offer and we will give them a place in society that will enable them to reach their full potential.”

Please reach out to us if you have a child that may be a fit for our program.

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