Based in Oceanside, CA, the Spellers Center-San Diego (formerly Transcending Apraxia) is a robust learning center where nonspeakers come to learn the Spellers Method as well as participate in group lessons & social events.
We Are You
Spellers Center SD was founded by a mom, Dawnmarie Gaivin (aka “DM”), who understands what it feels like to never hear her child speak and to wonder if she’d ever know his thoughts. By teaching him to spell on a letterboard in 2015, she unlocked his voice and now she’s dedicated her career to helping other families share the same joyful experience.
You Belong Here
The environment at Spellers Center SD is one where you are invited to come just as you are, and that means both you and your nonspeaker. You will not be judged by DM or her team. You belong here. And we will work together to identify and then help you overcome whatever hurdles are standing in the way of your son/daughter learning to fluently spell on a letterboard. Where there’s a will, plus a “ride-or-die” practitioner, there’s a way!
San Diego Services
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• If you are local to the San Diego location, we recommend scheduling spelling for communication sessions on a weekly basis.
• For families that are semi-local, the option also exists to schedule bi-weekly or monthly recurring sessions.
• The two greatest contributing factors to how long it takes for an individual to master spelling is the complexity of their sensory-motor profile and the resources (time, energy, finances) to consistently come to sessions and practice at home.
We firmly believe that every student can do this with time, that timeline just may look different depending on your family’s specific situation, and that’s ok! Even if this is not the time or season where your family is able to come weekly or practice consistently, we are here to support you through your entire journey.
That said, our goal with scheduling is to maximize the support we can give you and your child as practitioners without compromising or exhausting your resources.
Likewise, you don’t have to know the end from the beginning. If you’re unsure about how you’d like to schedule, give us a call or schedule a single session—we’d be happy to chat with you or make a recommendation after seeing your child for that initial session.
Spelling sessions run for a total of 45 minutes, during which your practitioner will work with your child through an engaging, age-appropriate lesson working on purposeful motor skills, cognitive goals, improved regulation and overall stamina for sustained communication. In addition, the practitioner will also coach you as a parent/caregiver to be a communication regulation partner. Get ready to finally hear your child’s voice!
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If traveling from outside San Diego you may be interested in scheduling a visiting client intensive at our clinic. This typically consists of two sessions per day for two to four consecutive days. Each session is 45 minutes long and we schedule at least an hour break between your two sessions.
During your intensive, you can expect your practitioner to complete a thorough intake & assessment that integrates your child’s individual differences along with his/her current sensory & motor skills. This allows them to determine which boards to use and how to begin or progress further in spelling.
In addition, throughout the sessions your practitioner will coach you as a communication regulation partner for your child. Our goal is for you to leave at the end of the intensive with new insight into your child’s profile and feeling empowered to continue practicing spelling lessons with confidence at home.
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Our next 3-month package starts June 5th!
Under the professional guidance of Erin Clarelli, MS, OTR/L, Spellers Center - San Diego offers incredible intentional movement programs to our local spellers.
Intentional motor skills are the ultimate foundation of communication and spelling. If your speller is feeling unable to level up on the boards or in other functional movement, this is your next step. Over the course of three months, participating spellers will receive:
• One 50-minute evaluation by an OT
• Eleven 30-minute intentional motor sessions with a Spellers Center practitioner
• One 30-minute mid-way progress check-in by an OT
• A customized and interactive online platform with weekly reports
• Ongoing collaboration between the OT and the SC-SD practitioner
Spellers are scheduled to visit the San Diego clinic once per week for three months to receive these services. This can be in addition to your weekly standing spelling appointment. Sessions can be scheduled as private appointments or as a dyad (with one other student). Contact us today for pricing and scheduling information or register here.
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"Ohana means family, and family means nobody is left behind or forgotten." - Lilo & Stitch
SC-San Diego has a thriving ohana of spellers & their families who connect in person for free outings and events every month. What began as a collaboration between Dawnmarie Gaivin & Erin Clarelli back in 2021 has grown into a network of friendships among spellers of all fluency levels.
Visit our Facebook Page for Updates
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Ohana Days: An adult day program for spellers aged 22+ is also in the works for San Diego locals. This program will be part of Spellers Freedom Foundation’s mission and will be rooted in the principles of presuming competence and communication access for all. Stay tuned for future updates as we navigate the process of becoming licensed through the Department of Developmental Services and secure a space for our first clients.
Dawnmarie Gaivin
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DM is the co-creator of the Spellers Method as well as the founder of Spellers Center - San Diego (formerly Transcending Apraxia), a spelling & intentional motor practice based in Oceanside, CA. Utilizing her extensive background in assistive technology, spelling for communication methodologies, as well as DIR/Floortime, she has spoken at many national conferences including NAA, TACA, & Autism One. As a parent of two nonspeakers who use letterboards, she knows firsthand the journey families experience on the road to fluency. Dawnmarie is also on the board of Spellers Freedom Foundation, a nonprofit helping nonspeakers create legendary futures for themselves.
When not at the clinic or with her boys you’ll definitely find DM at dog beach cavorting with her four-legged besties, Riley & Emma.
Chelsea Conway
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Chelsea is the Director of Client Relations at Spellers Center San Diego. She has worked within the autism community since 2013 in various program settings and schools, where she met Dawnmarie and her boys in 2016. Now as our Client Relations Specialist, she is so happy to be supporting and welcoming parents as they begin a new journey with their speller! You can reach Chelsea at sandiego@spellers.com.
Edna Lovera
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Edna is the Office Manager at Spellers Center, San Diego. She began volunteering at an elementary school while in college and especially enjoyed her time in SpEd. Originally from the Inland Empire, she landed in San Diego where she met Dawnmarie’s sons after working in several settings with the autistic community. In her free time, she hangs out with her cat, Blueberry and takes him out on park adventures in his stroller. Edna is excited to get to know all of the Spellers and their families! You can reach her at edna@spellers.com.
Jonathan Perez
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Johnny is a full-time Spellers Method practitioner at Spellers Center - San Diego. An athlete all his life with a desire to help others, Johnny found himself working at a nutrition shop throughout college. During this time he would acquire an AA in Kinesiology followed by a BS in Speech Language Pathology from Cal State University San Marcos. He was introduced to the world of spelling in March 2020 by Dawnmarie’s eldest son, Evan, who also doubles as Johnny’s best friend. Johnny specializes in working with autistic teens and those with impulsive and busy bodies.
A word from Dawnmarie: “After seeing Johnny quickly become my teenage son’s favorite communication partner, I knew I wanted him to join my clinic. His immense empathy and fun-loving nature give him an unmatched ability to connect with his clients. He has completed advanced training in purposeful motor coaching and ocular motor assessments and I am so proud of his sharp clinical skills. He has a talent for being able to work with active kiddos and those with impulsive bodies like my son.”
Jonathan joined forces with Dawnmarie in March 2021 and you can reach him at jonathan@spellers.com.
Brooke Poston
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After graduating from the College of Charleston with a B.S. in Public Health, and with a continuing aspiration to support others, Brooke started working with the Autism Community. She was first introduced to spelling when she moved to California from the East Coast in 2020. She then serendipitously connected with Dawnmarie and began working at Transcending Apraxia, now Spellers Center - San Diego, in 2021. Brooke takes a special interest in helping students with complex motor challenges access communication.
A word from Dawnmarie: “I am so impressed with Brooke’s clinical intuition and judgement. Her ability to calmly observe, draw conclusions, and act make her an excellent practitioner for those with complex motors, high anxiety, or restless, young bodies. She has completed advanced training in purposeful motor coaching, making her a very well rounded and well equipped practitioner. I trust her clinical skills implicitly and am so excited for our families that get to work with her!”
Brooke joined forces with Dawnmarie in October 2021. You can reach her at brooke@spellers.com
Ashlyn Isaia
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Ashlyn joined the Spellers Center San Diego team in the fall of 2022 and is ready to help unlock the voices of spellers in her community. She is a person who stutters, which has led her to help others who also live with communication obstacles. After earning her bachelor degree in Speech-Language Pathology, working as a behavioral therapist, followed by several years as an aide in the school districts working with students with special needs, her best friend Johnny (the one and only practitioner himself!) finally introduced her to the world of letterboard communication. When not working with spellers, you can catch Ashlyn at the beach, roller skating, or reading a good book. You can reach Ashlyn at ashlyn@spellers.com.
Jessica Diamond
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Jessica is a proud momma to her Spelling daughter, Brecken - taught by our very own DM and Brooke! She is a graduate of Rutgers University, with a B.S. in Environmental Economics whose world was turned on its head when Brecken was diagnosed with Autism at 18 months. Since that time, she has spent much of her energy on all things related to healing Brecken and helping her gain strength in as many facets of her life as possible. Communication was the final frontier - until Jessy read the book Underestimated and immediately connected with DM. She was drawn to the Spelling method, and trained to become a practitioner to help as many people as possible find their voices. When she’s not spelling, you can find her at the beach with her family - probably on a surfboard!!
Kyra Daffron
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Originally from Orange County with a background working in childcare, Kyra moved to San Diego in 2021 and began working as a caregiver to a nonspeaker, which kickstarted her passion for aiding the autism community. After watching the spellers movie... 3 times, Kyra was eager to become a Spellers Method provider in order to give every nonspeaker the opportunity to embrace the freedom of spelling. In her freetime, Kyra enjoys cooking, visiting coffee shops, hanging by the beach, and of course, cuddling her cat, Pinot Grigio.
Erin Clarelli
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Erin is an occupational therapist and founder of Sunrise Therapies, a personalized family and naturalistic focused occupational therapy organization for neurodiverse populations in San Diego, CA. Her passions and expertise include neurodiversity affirming care, autistic teens and adults, non-speaking or unreliably speaking clients, sensory processing, mind-body connection, mental & physical wellness, polyvagal theory, and motor-coaching intentional motor workouts & fitness. In 2021 Erin and Dawnmarie began collaborating on free monthly social events called “ohana outings” for the San Diego neurodiverse community, particularly spellers. Since then, they’ve worked together in Spellers Method immersion programs as well as Intentional Motor collaboration packages at Spellers Center San Diego. You can reach Erin at erin@spellers.com.
Contact Us
General Spellers Information
Ask us about the Spellers Method, our training programs, Spellers Connect Conference, Spellers University, Spellers Freedom Foundation, and the Spellers Center network.
admin@spellers.com
855-326-3727
Monday through Friday
9 am to 5 pm PT
Spellers Center San Diego
Ask us about the Spellers Method, clinic services,
availability, and scheduling.
sandiego@spellers.com
760-536-3896
Monday through Friday
9 am to 5 pm PT
4055 Oceanside Blvd Ste B,
Oceanside CA 92056
Spellers Center Tampa
Ask us about the Spellers Method, clinic services,
availability, and scheduling.
tampa@spellers.com
(727) 275-1155
Monday through Friday
9 am to 5 pm ET
1816 Health Care Dr
Trinity, FL 34655