This is the best week to give thanks. Back in 2021, we shared the Handley family story of letterboarding as a means to finally, blissfully, exhaustedly, explosively, gratefully communicate. Below the intro to this new book is a March, 2021 post from JB we ran with a video that will warm your heart faster than a shot of Wild Turkey bourbon.

JB's book Underestimated gave rise to the Spellers movie. And now, Skyhorse has again shown its unending support for the autism community with a new book, The Spellers Guidebook.

However we can help our kids communicate is a blessing. There are many versions of letterboarding now.  Some of our kids use AAC, from the highest tech to the simple PECS. At the end of the day, ALL that matters is that we support people with autism to communicate by ANY means.

The Spellers Guidebook by Dawnmarie Gavin and Dana Johnson with foreword by J.B. Handley

A means by which thousands, and soon millions, of people are being freed from their lives of silence.
 
The Spellers Guidebook is the first of its kind—a comprehensive guidebook that every family should take along for their Spelling journey. From the moment you first learn about spelled communication through working with a practitioner, developing fluency, and everything in between, this book serves as a blueprint to follow while you build the skills to spell openly with your child.
 
The Spellers Guidebook is informative not only for parents and caregivers but for practitioners and professionals as well.

Here's JB post from March of 2021.

JB Handley and his son Jamison have written a book recounting how a method called Spelling2Communicate (not to be confused with facilitated communication) has given 18 year old Jamison a way to share his heart, his mind, his soul. Think of all of our kids who are pre-verbal - how smart they are. We know. We can see it in their receptive speech. We see it in their eyes. We also see the pleading look that says, "Help me."  Many of us have spent tens of thousands of dollars, maybe more, and devoted countless hours to our kids lives. Never satisfied with the grim prognoses of ignorant doctors and inside the box therapists, we've been ridiculed, written off and reviled for wanting MORE for our kids. What kind of more? How about the ability to ask for a chicken sandwich instead of a burger. A glass of orange juice instead of grape juice.  Communication. For Jamison and many others, Spelling2Communicate has worked. For others? Perhaps S2C or HALO from Soma have not been the best route to success. Watch the interview. We are approaching the April Fool's Month. It's time to turn our eyes from the pandemic BACK to autism and our ever growing needs. For Jamison? We say AMEN, young man. We are happy for you.  Amazon: Underestimated An Autism Miracle