DEBUNKING SPELLING MYTHS

Have you heard that spelling is psuedo-science? That spelling has been debunked?

When agencies or institutions claim that spelling methods are not “evidence-based,” what they often mean is that these methods have not been “empirically validated” through double-blind research studies. However, this exposes a fundamental issue: nothing in education can truly be empirically validated because every student is inherently unique. At the same time, spelling and typing to communicate are considered evidence-based because this designation relies on three essential components: 1) research (links below), 2) the clinician’s professional expertise and judgment, and 3) the client’s preference. While this brief FAQ section cannot address all the potential flaws in methods used to “debunk” spelling as communication, we recognize some critical recurring issues. Those testing nonspeakers often: (1) Begin with a presumption of incompetence, (2) Design tests that measure motor skills, believing they are assessing cognitive or language abilities and (3) Create conditions that are biased toward failure, especially when testing marginalized individuals tasked with disproving stereotypes about themselves. By understanding these nuances, we can more clearly advocate for the validity and effectiveness of spelling as a communication method. (Source: SPELLERS.COM)

LINKS TO RESEARCH:

COMPILED RESEARCH BY UNITED FOR COMMUNICATION CHOICE

peer-reviewed research that supports the use of these AAC teaching methodologies

Eye Tracking Reveals Agency In Assisted Autistic Communication: May 2020, Scientific Reports

Motor Skills In Autism: A Missed Opportunity: January 2022, Spectrum

Is Motor Impairment in Autism Distinct from Developmental Coordination Disorder: A Report from the SPARK Study

Dyspraxia in autism: association with motor, social, and communicative deficits

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13623613241230709

Scribe Digital Letterboard

https://unitedforcommunicationchoice.org/research/

Illusions of literacy in nonspeaking autistic people: a response to Jaswal, Lampi & Stockwell, 2024

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11148795/