Technology is going to create amazing opportunities for nonverbal autistics.
But to take advantage of them, they must learn how to read.
Many of our kids have taught themselves to read, but they do so by memorizing words as sight words. This limits their vocabulary significantly.
Teaching your student phonics - the system of pronunciation - expands their vocabulary to potentially millions of words.
Isn't phonics "sounding it out?" How can my nonverbal student do that?
Studies have shown that phonics is still the best way to teach nonverbal students how to read. They "sound" out the word in their heads.
Our reading curriculum accommodates nonspeaking students with hands on, nonverbal methods to prove mastery.
Phonics
We'll begin with the foundation of phonics: alphabet recognition and consonant sounds. Once your student masters beginning sounds, we'll move on to word families.
Our phonics curriculum is picture based and includes fun activities for hands on learners.
Vocabulary
Your student's vocabulary will expand greatly with this program! They will learn the meanings of both foundational words AND age appropriate vocabulary. Respecting and challenging a nonverbal student's intellect gains their trust and willingness to learn.
Sight words
Your student can probably already read many preferred words by sight. (That's how they navigate YouTube so well!) In this program, we'll leverage that amazing memory and teach them academic sight words. The reading sight words match the core words taught in Nonverbal Austim Homeschool's AAC program each week.
Reading comprehension
Most public school IEPs include the ability to answer WH questions as a goal. That's because it's a key academic skill but one that's difficult for autistic students.
We tackle this one head on with super short passages and picture-based answers.
Nonverbal Autism Homeschool Reading is a full, 18-week semester program that provides you with daily lesson plans, instructions videos and the special curriculum you need to teach your nonverbal student to read.
And, you'll receive live support from Heather and Mr. Sims!
Simple download a bundle of PDFs and watch the short instructional videos. (we're talking just 2-3 minutes!) Follow the instructions and work with your student for about an hour or two a day, four days a week.
Looking for a complete academic program without AAC?
Enroll in Nonverbal Autism Homeschool Reading Math+, which combines the Reading and Math+ modules. It's a complete homeschool curriculum without AAC.
Literacy is a human right
According to CDC estimates, there are nearly 1 million people in the U.S. alone with severe, nonverbal autism. Sadly, many of them are functionally illiterate despite having normal or gifted intelligence.
Most public schools are not structured to teach nonverbal children to read, communicate and reach their academic potential. The reasons for this include:
- Group classrooms are overstimulating and make it difficult for autistic students to focus and sit still, skills that are required in school. However, schools don't have room or funding for 1:1, low sensory learning environments.
- Intelligence tests rely on expressive language to produce answers. This discriminates against students with expressive communication disabilities and produces false intellectual disability diagnoses.
- Expressive communication is required to prove academic mastery in school, and mastery in the form of testing is required to move forward academically. This forces kids with expressive communication disabilities to spend years stuck with age inappropriate curriculum.
- Parents lack the training to model AAC use at home. Many aren't even aware that they need to model.
We believe that every child, regardless of expressive or cognitive ability, can learn. Nearly all can learn to read and communicate.
Yes, education reform is needed. But by the time that happens, it will be too late for your student.
