faq’s

What is apraxia?

The non-speaking subjects in The Telepathy Tapes have “Apraxia” - a neurological condition that affects a person’s ability to carry out purposeful, coordinated movements—even though they understand what they want to do - this includes speaking. Speaking is a complex fine motor skill, requiring the precise coordination of over 100 muscles in the face, tongue, lips, jaw, vocal cords, diaphragm, and even the chest and abdomen. These muscles must move in highly specific sequences—within milliseconds—to produce intelligible speech.

People with apraxia know what they want to say, but the brain struggles to send the correct signals to the mouth and body to execute speech. That’s why spelling to communicate—which utilizes gross motor skills - can become a powerful tool for expression. Pointing typically involves larger muscle groups and simpler movements.

Apraxia is not a cognitive impairment. It’s a motor planning disconnect between the brain and body.

What is spelling

Spelling is a generic shorthand term for the communication method used by many non-speakers whereby they utilize the gross motor skill of pointing to letters on a letter board or keyboard to communicate their thoughts. This method is used by many with apraxia - or what’s often called a mind-body disconnect. While their minds are fully intact, their bodies don’t always follow their commands.

How is spelling different from Facilitated Communication (FC)?

Facilitated Communication (FC) is the original method of spelling - that involved someone supporting a person’s hand or arm while they typed or pointed. Since the emergence of FC, newer methods have evolved, including Spelling to Communicate (S2C), Rapid Prompting Method (RPM), and “the Speller Method.” These approaches emphasize motor planning, skill-building, and autonomy. A key tenet of these updated methods is that spellers should not be physically touched once they develop the motor control to spell independently. While some individuals with severe apraxia may require initial physical support to know where their body is in space - the ultimate goal is always independent or minimally supported communication. The spellers featured in The Telepathy Tapes now type independently or with very minimal support—and no one is touching their hand, arm, or wrist.

How is spelling different from Facilitated Communication (FC)?

Facilitated Communication (FC) is the original method of spelling and involves someone supporting a person’s hand or arm while they type or point. Since the emergence of FC, newer methods have evolved, including Spelling to Communicate (S2C), Rapid Prompting Method (RPM), and “the Speller Method.” These approaches emphasize motor planning, skill-building, and autonomy. A key tenet of these updated methods is that spellers should not be physically touched once they develop the motor control to spell fluently. However, they often require a trusted and rigorously trained Communication and Regulation Partner (CRP) who can coach motor skills and promote regulation. The CRP often holds a letter board perfectly still and records letter by letter the words expressed by the non-speaker. The role of a CRP is very important to keep the speller engaged and regulated while they are pointing to their own letters. While some individuals with severe apraxia may require initial physical support to know where their body is in space - the ultimate goal is always autonomy. The spellers featured in The Telepathy Tapes now type independently or with very minimal support from a CRP—and no one is touching their hand, arm, or wrist.

are all non-speakers telepathic?

We do not believe in using the word “all” when describing any group of people. The Telepathy Tapes explores the possibility that some nonspeaking individuals may experience telepathic or intuitive forms of connection—especially in close relationships—but it does not claim this is universal. Every non-speaker is unique, with their own personalities, preferences, gifts and experiences.

Telepathy and other psi abilities may be a natural ability that all of us possess to some degree - and some individuals may able to tap into this natural form of connection more effortlessly. The project is an invitation to remain curious, not a blanket declaration about any group of people or any ability.

Are spelling and telepathy the same thing?

No. Spelling and telepathy are completely separate things. Many families, therapists and teachers who report deep telepathic or intuitive connections with nonspeaking individuals say that these experiences began long before any formal spelling to communicate. Spelling is a motor-based communication method rooted in neurology, not metaphysics. Telepathy, when present, is a separate phenomenon that some families and researchers are exploring, often through anecdotal or experimental means.

If you talk about telepathy, does that mean the nonspeaker’s words aren’t their own?

Absolutely not. This is one of the most important misconceptions to address. The ability to perceive another’s thoughts does not mean that someone loses ownership of their own. Nonspeakers—like all of us—can have their own thoughts while simultaneously being aware of others’. Many spellers featured in The Telepathy Tapes have shared things that no one else in the room knew, including: Diagnosing their own medical conditions, sharing about unique passions and interests, describing memories that others didn’t know about and knowing languages or academic information that their communication partner did not know.

The presence of telepathy, if it exists, doesn’t negate autonomy. It simply adds another layer of connection—it doesn’t override the speaker’s voice. Think of it this way: you can sit next to someone and sense their mood, even while having your own thoughts. Or when someone is talking to you in a conversation, you’re fully capable of hearing them and thinking your own thoughts at the same time. That’s the kind of dual-awareness we’re talking about.

Is spelling a pseudoscience?

Spelling and typing to communicate are not pseudoscience. When people say spelling “has been debunked,” they’re often referencing outdated or flawed studies—or conflating it with entirely different methods. When institutions say spelling isn’t “evidence-based,” they often mean it hasn’t been validated through double-blind studies. But here’s the catch: very little in education ever is.

In reality, spelling is considered evidence-based when it meets these three standards:

  1. Existing research (here a link to current studies and research around spelling)

  2. The clinician’s professional judgment

  3. The individual’s informed choice and preference

We also need to ask: Who is designing these tests—and with what assumptions? Too often, studies “debunking” spelling:

  • Start with a presumption of incompetence

  • Mistake motor challenges for cognitive limitations

  • Set up testing conditions that are confusing, overwhelming, or culturally biased.