Gabe is 16 years old, autistic and nonspeaking. Before Gabe was born his father passed away tragically when his mother Nicole was only 12 weeks pregnant with him. Gabe was diagnosed with severe level 3 autism. Nicole didn't waste any time and tried every intervention possible with the hope that Gabe would one day be able to speak. When Gabe began school he was given an AAC device to request certain items like what he wanted to eat, when he needed to use the bathroom, basic needs. That was the extent of how he used his AAC device. For many years the AAC device was the only form of communication Gabe had in addition to eye contact and body language. A couple of years ago we decided to try another method to help Gabe communicate called Spelling!

For almost 14 years Gabe didn't have a voice, but once he started learning how to spell on a letterboard everything changed! Now he is learning how to type on a keyboard as well. Because of Spelling we have started to get to know Gabe on a deep level. He is now able to tell us his hopes and dreams, what school is like for him; if he is sick or in pain; what his interests are; and he asks about his father that he never had the chance to meet. Having the ability to communicate is the most important thing in Gabe's life. Gabe has become happier and because of that he has thrived in all areas of his life because of spelling over the last two years. The kid who was once considered intellectually disabled is in fact extremely intelligent. We understand how important it is to maintain Gabe's spelling sessions as well as be trained to be able to act as his communication partners at home. Unfortunately Spelling is not a method the schools will accept and he is still labeled as having an intellectual disability and because of that he is not able to access an education that is appropriate for him. It is our goal for that to change. Once Gabe is able to spell and type independently the sky is the limit! We want Gabe to have the opportunity to communicate everywhere and have access to an education that he so desperately wants and deserves. Spelling has increased Gabe's quality of life beyond measure.

Learning this Spelling method requires a lot of practice and training for both Gabe and his caregivers. Not only his parents, but the individuals who will be working with Gabe outside of the home and outside of school. The more time Gabe and his family devote to Spelling the more fluent he will become. Spelling has become what our world revolves around as it is detrimental for Gabe to not have spelling in his future.

In order for Gabe to continue to make progress he needs to be able to continue his spelling sessions, take classes with other spellers, and have trained caregivers to help him be able to spell out in the world, not just in the office.

Unfortunately, Spelling is very expensive and isn't yet covered by insurance. Gabe has a lot of time to make up for as he was without a voice for most of his life. We want to be able to continue along this path that Gabe has been finding a lot of success with. Currently we pays 130/session. Gabe is currently accessing spelling two hours a week although we wish it was more. This is not feasible for us to maintain on our own. We work hard each day to provide for him, but are limited.

We are excited and grateful to our amazing followers who have asked that we create a Go Fund Me for our community to help Gabe continue to receive these important spelling sessions. Our goal is to raise enough money for Gabe to be able to continue to Spell, have access to an appropriate education through the spelling program, and have more training for those in his life. Gabe has been excited to share his about his "Spelling Days" with his followers and wants to continue to spread awareness to help other individuals who don't have a voice yet and their families.

For those of you who have questions about how spelling works please watch the documentary Spellers on Youtube for free!

We appreciate how much love and support Gabe and our family receives online. Thank you for offering to support Gabe on his spelling journey!