Encore Speech & Wellness

05/25/2026

This As an SLP and AAC advocate, I have been deeply disappointed to see Tobii Dynavox move TD Snap toward a monthly subscription model for independent iPad users.

AAC is not entertainment software. It is someone’s VOICE.

One of the reasons I have loved recommending AAC on iPad Minis is because families could purchase a relatively affordable device, buy the app once, and have a durable, functional communication system without being locked into ongoing fees.

Families already face enormous financial and emotional burdens accessing communication supports. Turning a person’s ability to communicate into a recurring subscription crosses an ethical line for me personally.

Because of this change, I will no longer be recommending Tobii Dynavox products for new AAC users using personal iPads.

Instead, I will continue recommending options such as TouchChat and LAMP Words for Life on an iPad Mini — systems that still allow families to OWN their communication app outright.

Communication should never depend on whether a monthly payment clears.

05/25/2026

05/25/2026

Bumpy Words Ep 1.
Is your child’s speech “bumpy”? Stuttering during preschooler-ages is common and can be developmentally appropriate - but sometimes the reactions of others can cause anxiety and even make matters worse. If your child has disfluency, it’s always a good idea to see a Speech Language Pathologist who will determine if interventions are appropriate.

Speech Pathologists can also provide you with an action plan to support your child’s speech fluency so everyone can feel confident in expressing themselves.

05/21/2026

Families!! A new e-book on Kindle is available! Written by Lora through her letterboard!
What a gift to the world she is!

05/20/2026

Let us help your nonspeaker too.

05/20/2026

Thanks Dr Dana for detailed explanation on the many barriers we face as we advocate for true and open access to communication!

Are you being told there's only ONE right way for your nonspeaking child to communicate? In this video, I'm breaking down the real differences and surprising...

05/19/2026

Lol! 😂 We “speechies” appreciate this one.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1496500321888650/?fs=e&mibextid=wwXIfr

05/08/2026

“As a provider for nonspeakers with Autism for 30 years- I thought I knew autism. I was so wrong.” Maija Hahn, owner of Encore Speech confesses, “I now consider this to be the most important advocacy efforts of my career”. Nonspeakers’s primary deficits are not in cognition or language comprehension- on the contrary- they are quite intelligent with large vocabularies- their primary deficits are in PURPOSEFUL MOTOR INITIATING SEQUENCING.
“Whole-body Apraxia is their primary deficit, and we specialists have all missed it”.

If you want to learn more- give our office call. We are more than happy to share what we have learned!

Link to report here: https://www.nbcnews.com/video/families-of-non-speakers-push-to-protect-their-right-to-communicate-262885957854?fbclid=IwZnRzaARqKhlleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeqyy0vUgxzPyKgRdxBSr4jmiSEe5kcYaQFy8kttYJWUmg6RBTp9yjuiH0bkk_aem_0Zd1z4beYrmYUmgCKORCDg

10/05/2025

A beautiful message from Jack.

Today I want to address people in autism squares, who make decisions for us. These are people who have good intentions and want the world to be more accepting and safe for people like me. I see that their hearts are in the right place, but they are making wrong assumptions about us and what we want and need. “Always presume competence” is our mantra for good reason.

Most of us have experienced the opposite. Most of us have felt the constant sting of being seen, treated, and given no opportunity to prove something other than incompetence. This has defined our existence in an extremely harmful way. Our fight to survive is not one to thrive, and we often see ourselves through this lens of being unworthy of what we need. This is profoundly detrimental to our mental health, and sense of well-being, and worth.

I can’t imagine what this existence feels like without a sense of God‘s love and belonging in his family. My heart feels so heavy for those who live outside of this reality.

Selah. Pause to reflect on this.

Imagine the individuals you know that are in the place of this torturous existence and unaware of their incredible worth. Now imagine the thousands more who have no one to imagine for them or see their worth. The devastation they must feel is almost unimaginable.

I have felt this devastation at times, but been buoyed by the love of God at just the right time in the labyrinth of life. Often this encounter with his love has come in human form. This is why Christ came, not just to die, but to show us how to live as breathing experiences of his encompassing love.

So my challenge to you today is be someone’s encounter with God‘s love today. Stay in the Light.
Love,
Jack