Nonspeaking autistic self advocacy – with Noah Seback

Noah Seback cannot speak -- however, he has a lot to say.

Noah is a nonspeaking autistic young man with apraxia, which has made it impossible for him to communicate reliably for most of his life. Then, at the age of 16, he learned how to use a letterboard to spell out the words he wanted to say -- and his entire world opened up. As Noah described it to me, "it was nirvana!"

Since Noah is nonspeaking, he is joined on this episode by his communication regulation partners, David and Nadine Seback (who are also his parents). During this episode, you’ll hear David and Nadine read Noah’s responses – which means you’ll be hearing Noah’s words through David and Nadine’s speaking voices.

During this episode, Noah shares:

• How his life completely changed after learning how to communicate using a letterboard at age 16
• The importance of presuming competence of nonspeaking people
• How he responds to people who don’t believe that letterboard spelling is a valid method of communication
• How he began to overcome and heal from his trauma
• Why he started qUirk, his mentoring business, to help nonspeakers – especially those who are labeled “the worst of the worst”
• What he wants parents of nonspeaking kids to know, and his advice for nonspeakers who are struggling right now

Find out more about Noah, his writing and his mentoring business at www.quirkthrives.com.

Watch the video of this interview on YouTube!

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Click here for the episode transcript.

*Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.*