For many families of non-speaking autistic people, the search for communication doesn’t begin with choice—it begins with desperation. Years of therapy. Years of assessments. And still no reliable way to hear their child’s thoughts, preferences, or inner life.

In Episode 3 of the Presume Competence Series, we build directly on the foundation laid in Episodes 1 and 2—where we explored why spelling-based communication works and how motor planning differences can interfere with traditional AAC and speech-based expectations.

Once motor planning is understood, the question shifts. Not whether someone understands—but how they can most reliably express what they already know.

This conversation examines how assessments are often used far beyond what they are capable of measuring. We unpack how speech and language tests are mistaken for measures of intelligence, how compliance and immediate motor output are confused with comprehension, and why brief assessment snapshots are treated as permanent conclusions. Our panel explores how these practices shape belief systems, silence parental intuition, and discourage families from exploring spelling-based communication—often through fear-based narratives that are not supported by the evidence they claim to rely on.

As one panelist reminds us: no expert, in any capacity, ever has the right to tell a family there is no hope.

We invite parents and professionals alike to reconsider the role assessments play in decision-making—and to remember that assessments are tools for gathering information, not verdicts on intelligence, potential, or inner language. Because when communication finally becomes possible, it changes everything. And no family should be told not to look simply because the system isn’t ready to see.

BetsyOnTheGo.com

AutismOdyssey.org

Takeaways:

• No expert has the right to tell you there's no hope.
• Assessments often fail to measure true intelligence.
• Spelling-based communication offers a reliable expression method.
• Motor planning is crucial for understanding non-speakers.
• Current assessments are often misused and misunderstood.
• Parents must advocate for their child's communication needs.
• The system often silences parental intuition.
• Spelling methods are not harmful, contrary to some claims.
• Education should equip and enrich, not just test.
• Parents are the legal authority in their child's education.

Takeaways