The Telepathy Tapes

Part I

Laminated Letterboard

“So can we take ID off my IEP now?”

My 11 year old nonspeaking son (he writes at iosemt.substack.com) spelled the question above to his SLP and SPED teacher using his Letterboard after they observed him calmly and beautifully spelling for at least a half hour in a lesson context. He answered age appropriate questions with clear, precise, regulated spelling. It was (and is) clear that he does not have an intellectual disability. The letterboard (laminate) is currently his communication device of choice.

His Individualized Education Plan at school is created under the umbrella of “Intellectual Disability” due to his extra chromosome. He has Down syndrome so people automatically assume his disability is intellectually based when really, it is a sensory motor impairment (body based). (He has given permission many times for me to share this information).

I believe the inability of nonspeakers to access rigorous, age appropriate, and peer level educational content while using their preferred communication devices is a tragedy.

The widespread mis-representing of nonspeakers as “intellectually disabled” as opposed to motor impaired is a prison sentence…and a human rights crisis.

A crisis that until recently was unrelated to telepathy.

My same son is really concerned about the podcast The Telepathy Tapes especially after a recent interview on Joe Rogan’s podcast (with a platform of 19 million +). He’s not alone in his concern.

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A few of the topics I hope to cover in a series of posts are:

• True ethical consent and the extra difficulties in obtaining consent from nonspeakers and/or their families.

• Influence - on and OFF the boards -

• Dangers of the pendulum swing: from ID to Savants

• What are other nonspeakers outside the TT thinking and feeling on this topic and are we listening to them?

• Clarifying some misunderstandings on gatekeeping to maintain hard fought integrity.

• What do nonspeakers actually want and need from us?

• TBD