Nonspeaking autistic self advocacy – with Noah Seback
Beyond 6 Seconds: Neurodiversity stories from neurodivergent people
04/25/22
•18m
About
Comments
Featured In
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!
Subscribe to the FREE Beyond 6 Seconds newsletter for early access to new episodes!
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.*
Previous Episode
Autism, photography and the beauty of everyday things – with Joseph Hill
April 18, 2022
•34m
Photographer Joseph Hill is known as the "unofficial mayor" of Southern Pines, North Carolina. He's currently the exclusive photographer for the Southern Pines Welcome Center, where many of his pictures are available for purchase as postcards. His work has been featured in PineStraw Magazine and on the front page of The Pilot newspaper.
Joseph also has autism, and he's on a mission to spread positivity and encourage other entrepreneurs like himself. (Note: I'm using person-first language like "has autism" for Joseph at his request.)
During this episode, you will hear Joseph talk about:
- What it was like growing up with autism
- How his parents and family friend have helped him develop his passion and career as a photographer
- How he finds and captures the beauty of everyday things in his photography
- The photograph that helped kickstart his photography career
- His mission to spread positivity and encouragement
For more information about Joseph and his photography, you can find him on his official website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube!
Subscribe to the FREE Beyond 6 Seconds newsletter for early access to new episodes!
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.*
Next Episode
This podcast was recorded live at the Intersectional Infinity Summit on 3/30/2022.
Ky Kennedy is a mother, lactation consultant, author and autism advocate. After seeing a need for an autistic founded and ran organization, Ky and their sister founded Autistics Unmasked (AU). Now Ky and the rest of the team at AU are well on their way to providing educational resources to schools, employers and family members of autistic people across the nation.
During this session, we discuss:
- Ky's experiences as an undiagnosed autistic child and their self-diagnosis in adulthood
- Why Ky and their sister founded AU to support BIPOC and queer autistic people
- Some of the challenges that autistic BIPOC face in society, and how AU is addressing these challenges through educational curriculums for first responders and schools
- The exciting work AU is doing now and planning for the future!
Learn more about Autistics Unmasked at www.AutisticsUnmasked.org.
Learn more about the Intersectional Infinity Summit on Twitter @NINE_On_Can.
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube!
Subscribe to the FREE Beyond 6 Seconds newsletter for early access to new episodes!
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.*
If you like this episode you’ll love
Promoted