Meet & Greet: S2C with Adrienne
Adrienne Murphy
We recently invited Adrienne Murphy to tell us a little bit more about S2C and her involvement in St. Andrew’s Community Centre.
Can you tell us a little about yourself, the activity you run and what inspired you to approach St. Andrew’s for space?
I'm a Spelling to Communicate (S2C) Practitioner, certified through the International Association for Spelling as Communication (www.i-asc.org). I coach nonspeaking children and adults to gradually develop the arm movement skill to point accurately at letters on alphabet boards.
“Nonspeakers” is an umbrella term that includes little-or-no-speaking, minimally-speaking and unreliably-speaking people with various diagnoses/disabilities. S2C is not limited to use with autistic students.
The result of the S2C process enables nonspeakers to communicate their previously locked-in thoughts. The goal, as S2C students gain in motor dexterity, is to transition from pointing at letterboards to typing on keyboards.
I also coach my students’ family members and allies how to “communication and regulation partner” – to CRP – for their nonspeakers.
I taught my nonspeaking autistic son, Caoimh, now in his early 20s, how to spell to communicate when he was 12. He is one of Ireland's first nonspeaking autistic people able to communicate his thoughts through language.
I’ve been living in the Rialto area for over 25 years, and I raised my children here. I’m thrilled to be offering S2C sessions in St Andrew’s Community Centre. The spaciousness and garden-view of the Dining Room provide a relaxing ambiance for my clients.
How has it been going so far for you?
The centre’s warm collaborative atmosphere is perfect for the inclusive ethos that goes with S2C, which aims to bring historically marginalised, disabled people, and their families, into community. My nonspeaking students love coming to St Andrew's, and are flourishing into communication here.
How does someone get in touch with you?
Get in touch through my website: https://www.s2cwithadrienne.com/
Last but not least, have you an interesting or inspiring fact you would like to share with us:
NOT SPEAKING IS NOT THE SAME AS NOT THINKING!