The Spellers Guidebook:

Practical Advice for Parents and Students

The first of its kind…

A comprehensive guidebook that every family should take along for their Spelling journey. From the moment you first learn about spelled communication through working with a practitioner, developing fluency, and everything in between, this book serves as a blueprint to follow while you build the skills to spell openly with your child.

  • The Spellers Guidebook is informative not only for parents and caregivers but for practitioners and professionals as well. It answers questions from the most basic—what to expect during the first spelling session, to more clinical—what is apraxia, and how does it affect my speller? It even discusses the importance of regulation and how the interpersonal dynamic between the speller and their communication partner can impact flow.

  • The journey toward open communication differs for every family, and this handbook is here to help remove any guesswork. Whether your path seems straight and easy to navigate or the road ahead appears winding and twisting, Dana and DM are here to guide you. If you walk away with nothing more than the confidence that you can do this with your nonspeaker (because you CAN), The Spellers Guidebook has done its job!

Meet the Authors

Dana Johnson and Dawnmarie Giavin

Spellers was co-founded by Dawnmarie Gaivin, RN, AT-ACP and Dana Johnson, PhD, MS, OTR/L, both expert providers in teaching nonspeakers how to communicate reliably through spelling & typing. Spellers pioneered the first online communication partner training course as well as life-changing Immersion Program weeks for nonspeakers & their families. DM and Dana are committed to sharing their years of clinical expertise so that families everywhere will have the tools to help their nonspeaking loved one themselves.

Patricia S. Lemer, MEd, LPC, author of Outsmarting Autism, director emeritus of Epidemic Answers 

“The Spellers Guidebook is one of the most important entries into our libraries of parent advice books today. When we ‘assume competence,’ support and break down motor planning, and work with fine motor deficits, including visual motor skills, we can tap into the gifts and emotions of our nonspeakers. If you know anyone whose verbal communication skills are unreliable, limited, or nonexistent, this book is the key to unlocking their thoughts, feelings, and more. Thank you, DM and Dana, for helping us understand that ‘not speaking’ does not mean ‘not competent.’”

Meg Gill, entrepreneur and cofounder of Golden Road Brewery; named Forbes 30 under 30 (2014)

“This guide is a must-read for families seeking communication and hope for their nonspeaking loved one. Having once taken communication for granted, I can’t convey how hard it has been to accept the news that our daughter may never speak. However, after reading this book and working with the Spellers team on motor and regulation preparation for her to spell, Spellers has become our path for unlocking limitless opportunities and capabilities for our young daughter.”