New Direction Spelling Center

05/03/2026

Those tiny jars of spices in your kitchen once shaped empires, inspired exploration, and even influenced the words we speak today.

In this rich lesson by S2C Practitioner in Training, Maria Galifianakis, spellers can explore how spices like cinnamon, pepper, and saffron traveled across continents, connecting cultures through trade, language, and science.

Check out the lesson and download for free: https://i-asc.org/lessons/the-astonishing-past-of-humble-spices-how-flavor-shaped-human-history/

05/03/2026

The Month of May is Apraxia Awareness Month! To increase awareness, I-ASC has launched The Star Challenge ⭐️

The Star Challenge is an activity designed to give people insight into what it feels like when intention and movement do not align, similar to the experience of individuals with apraxia.

Apraxia is a motor planning difference where the brain struggles to send clear signals to the body, and it is not related to intelligence, motivation, or understanding.

By completing a simple task under challenging conditions, participants experience how actions can become slow, effortful, and frustrating when coordination is disrupted. This activity helps build awareness of how much effort communication and daily tasks can require for people with apraxia.

Want to learn more? Check out this new lesson on The Star Challenge written by Elizabeth Vosseller, Founder of S2C and Executive Director of I-ASC: https://i-asc.org/lessons/the-star-challenge-a-glimpse-into-motor-planning/

03/19/2026

I-ASC is the exclusive source of training in the rigorous Spelling to Communicate™ method, an evidence-based practice with a long record of successful outcomes. We enable nonspeaking, minimally and unreliably speaking individuals to communicate their thoughts, emotions, and needs through pointing to letters on a letterboard.

What can you expect?
- 7 months long training online
- Tuition: $3,500 (We offer payment plans!)
- Financial aid available for qualifying applicants
- 5 day internship at an approved location
- Assigned mentor throughout training
- Continuing support after graduation

I-ASC has trained over 750 Certified S2C Practitioners worldwide! 🌎

To learn more about the program and to request an application, please visit: https://i-asc.org/training/s2c-practitioner-training-program-requirements/

03/19/2026

New S2C Lesson: Time Travel and Modular Arithmetic

This lesson, by Certified S2C Practitioner, Ketllyn Vieira, introduces modular arithmetic (clock math) through a fun time-travel theme. Modular arithmetic works with integers and focuses on the remainder when numbers “wrap around” a fixed value called the modulus (like 12 hours on a clock or 7 days in a week).

Using this system, you can calculate time by moving forward or backward without going outside the cycle. The lesson shows how modular arithmetic helps solve real-world time problems, such as finding future or past times on a clock, calculating days of the week using mod 7, and breaking larger time jumps into manageable parts (days + leftover hours).

Check out the lesson: https://i-asc.org/lessons/time-travel-and-modular-arithmetic/

A spiral clock design is on the top of the image. At the center is the I-ASC logo, with a bold label reading “NEW S2C LESSON.” The title “Time Travel and Modular Arithmetic” stands out prominently. The author is credited as Ketllyn Vieira, Certified S2C Practitioner. The design includes a soft blue gradient background, a pencil on the left, and an alphabet board on the right, reinforcing the learning theme.]

03/16/2026

03/02/2026

It is important to center nonspeakers voices in advocacy.

03/02/2026

A small group of Speller families will be traveling together on a Royal Caribbean Cruise from Cape Liberty, NJ to the Eastern Caribbean in October. We would love for other families to join us. If you are interested in cruising, then please PM Marcy Telpinsterin Rosch for the details.

02/20/2026

This is a summary of several of Dr. Elizabeth Torres' peer review papers. Her research is groundbreaking! This podcast talks about autism and micromovements. These paper examine the Autism Diagnosis Observation Schedule 2 (ADOS-2) through the precise digital lens and the physics of dyadic human interaction.

This is an AI-generated podcast under my supervision, summarizing several peer-reviewed papers from the lab. These paper examine the Autism Diagnosis Observa...

01/12/2026

At least one third of autistic people have limited or no speech. Most nonspeaking autistic people are never provided alternatives that would enable the full range of expression that speech allows, si...

11/03/2025

We were lucky enough to have Elizabeth Vosseller come to Boston! It was a fantastic weekend! We are grateful for her advice and presentations.