EPISODE 153
Part 2 of 3 Series
Assisted Communication with Non-speakers
What the Naysayers Get Wrong and The Damage They Cause:
A Conversation with David Kaufer
Assisted Communication with Non-speakers
What the Naysayers Get Wrong and The Damage They Cause:
A Conversation with David Kaufer
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Show Notes
Barry and his guest David Kaufer engage in a “no holds barred” critique of the small group of naysayers who have challenged the rights of non-and minimally, speaking people to have access to their preferred and most effective modes of communication. David shares his knowledge from two perspectives, a dad whose teenage son has experienced success with assisted communication, and as an author and advocate for autistic individuals who has a sharp eye for calling out the misinformation and hypocrisy of those who challenge the lived experience of countless non-speakers, family members and professionals. As part 2 of this three-part series, we also specify how evidence-based practice has been misrepresented by the naysayers.
Featuring
DAVID KAUFER
David Kaufer is a digital marketing strategist, autism advocate, and host of “The Lighter Side of the Spectrum” podcast. His work focuses on communication rights, motor-based communication methods, and challenging assumptions about intelligence in nonspeaking individuals. He is the father of 20 year old twins, his son Stone is a nonspeaking autistic self-advocate who communicates through spelling, and Ty is a sophomore at the University of Washington, studying political science.
Learn more about David on his website
BARRY PRIZANT, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Barry M. Prizant, PhD, CCC-SLP is recognized as among the world’s leading scholars on autism and as an innovator of respectful, person- and family-centered approaches, and is known internationally for his inspiring keynote addresses and presentations. He is Director of Childhood Communication Services, Adjunct Professor of Communicative Disorders at the University of Rhode Island, and has fifty years of experience as an international consultant and researcher. Barry has published five books, 150 articles/chapters, and is co-author of The SCERTS Model now being implemented internationally. He was a two-time featured presenter at the UN World Autism Awareness Day with more than 1000 presentations internationally. Barry’s book Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism (2022) is the best-selling book on autism since 2015, published in 26 languages and ranked by Book Authority as #1 of the “100 best books on autism of all time”. Barry co-hosts a podcast, Uniquely Human: The Podcast (www.uniquelyhuman.com) with his friend, Dave Finch, an autistic audio engineer. It is ranked # 1 of all time by Goodpods in categories of disability, psychiatry, autism, and ADHD.
Visit Barry’s website here
Visit SCERTS website here
Uniquely Human, the book (Updated and Expanded edition!)
Transcripts coming soon!
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👉 Download the Transcripts 💾 (Coming soon)
…and Continue the Discussion
Do you have a book or podcast club? If so, you may use this discussion guide to facilitate a conversation about this episode.
1. How did David and his family’s personal journey lead to his role as an advocate for the rights of autistic people, especially those who use assisted methods to communicate? What did David share about Stone’s journey in becoming a young man who now communicates through spelling/typing? Are you familiar with similar stories?
2. What were David’s initial reactions to those who claim all assisted communication is simply the result of others’ influence, and not the authentic thoughts and feelings of the individuals involved? What were your reactions, and how did (do) you move forward?
3. What are the issues that David and Barry discuss that raise serious questions about the misunderstandings, questionable ethics and legal ramifications of the critics of assisted communication approaches? What are some of the concerns you have and how have you addressed them in your lives or in professional practice?
HOSTED BY
Barry Prizant, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Dr. Barry Prizant is a speech-language pathologist with more than 50 years experience as a researcher and international consultant for autistic and neurodivergent individuals and their families. He is an Adjunct Professor of Communicative Disorders at the University of Rhode Island and Director, Childhood Communication Services (a private practice). Previously, he served as Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry in the Brown University School of Medicine, and held a tenured professor appointment at Emerson College. Publications include 5 books, most notably Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism (2015; 2022) and The SCERTS Model manuals, an educational approach implemented in more than a dozen countries. He has published 150 scholarly chapters and articles and serves on numerous professional advisory boards for journals and professional organizations. Barry has presented more than 1000 seminars and keynote addresses internationally, including two invited presentations at the United Nations for World Autism Awareness Day. His career contributions have been recognized with honors from Brown and Princeton Universities, the Autism Society of America and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
Visit Barry’s website here
Uniquely Human, the book (Updated and Expanded edition!)
Dave Finch
Dave Finch is the author of the New York Times bestselling memoir, The Journal of Best Practices: A Memoir of Marriage, Asperger Syndrome, and One Man’s Quest to Be a Better Husband. As a writer and creative consultant, his work has appeared on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, NPR, SiriusXM, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, The Howard Stern Show, and the award-winning Netflix series, Atypical. Based in Denver, Dave’s company, Elevated Studio, produces this podcast and other recognized series.
Visit Dave’s website here
“I have read a million and one books on Autism. Uniquely Human is the best book I have ever read, hands down. Thank you Barry for this incredible gift!!!!”
– Navah Paskovitz, Mother of three boys with Autism, Co-Founder, the Ed Asner Family Center
“Compassion, learning and supportive strategies–the three essentials for working with folks with ASD–are an integral part of this must-read book.”
– Michelle Garcia Winner, Speech Language Pathologist and Founder of Social Thinking
“Thanks be to Barry for the first-ever must read written for parents, educators, and clinicians.”
– Michael John Carley, Founder, GRASP; Author of Asperger’s From the Inside-Out
“What makes the book compelling is how funny Mr. Finch is about himself. He’s great company.”
– Susannah Meadows, The New York Times
“In this hilarious memoir (which also gives some of the finest explications of Asperger’s out there), Finch approaches trying to be a better husband and father with the determination of Sherman marching on Atlanta.”
– Judith Newman, People (4/4 stars)
“Talk about being on a roll. This dude wrote a book, he has Asperger’s syndrome. He cured himself by listening to me on the radio!”
– Howard Stern