ABOUT US

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     JUDY CHINITZ, MS, MS
     DIRECTOR
     NEW YORK STATE LICENSED, SPECIAL EDUCATION
     CERTIFIED S2C PRACTITIONER

My son, Alex, was diagnosed with autism at 2 years old and spent his entire       school career in programs for the profoundly cognitively disabled.  As a special educator myself, I did everything I knew - and learned what I didn't know - to try to teach Alex even one academic skill, and give him some means of expressing himself.  I spent those 21 school-age years failing to do either. While Alex seemed to have some receptive language, his expressive language was limited to just a few words, most of which were unintelligible. 

When Alex turned 21 and aged out of the public school system, I placed him in a daycare program for those with severe cognitive disability.  As far as I knew, his functioning level was that of a preschooler at best.  I love my son more than anything on earth, and thought I was doing the right thing when I sat him in front of Thomas the Tank Engine videos and read him Disney princess stories. But...

In July of 2019, when Alex was 25 1/2 years old, I discovered a method of teaching Alex to spell using a letter board.  It was mind blowing! I learned, then, that all the motor impairments I had recognized in my son all these years - the inability to control his eye movements, the inability to point normally, the inability to control volitional motor movements - had prevented him, for his entire life, from showing me that he has both normal language and exceptional intelligence.  He didn't just know his letters, I discovered, but had been reading since he was 2 years old and knew more than I could ever have imagined!

Alex can now participate in life in a way I could never have dreamed of:  real interaction with his mother and brother, friends, conversation, games, education, are all now his.  In August, 2021, he passed New York State's high school equivalency exam (TASC) with distinction - and in December, 2021, he was accepted early decision to the elite screen and play writing program at the State University of New York at Purchase.

If I had not witnessed what I have witnessed, I would not have believed it either.  In fact, when I began this process, I did it only because I never could bring myself NOT to try everything...not really because I believed Alex had intact language and cognition.

For obvious reasons then, I have devoted myself to bringing the gift of communication to everyone I possibly can. 

As both a parent and a professional, I can only say to you that you don't know until you have tried this.  I had spent 25 1/2 years of my son's life failing him because everything I thought I knew was wrong.  I didn't really know my own child. 

I feel fortunate that my education and experience equips me to offer you this possibility, because you may not know your loved one as well as you think you do either.
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BRYANT GARRIDO
S2C PRACTITIONER

Hello, my name is Bryant Garrido. I am the first generation of an immigrant family that came from Guatemala. I was born in Stamford, CT and have 2 younger brothers: Dennis and Alejandro. I am a kind, caring, and compassionate person with a huge passion for learning and becoming a better person everyday - bettering myself but also, trying to better the lives of those around me. I have an incredible desire and will to accomplish that goal. My greatest show of willpower was when I lost over 100 pounds in 1 year! After watching my friend, Alex, do the incredible things he’s done, I have experienced a new surge of motivation. He has inspired me to push myself further in my weight loss goals, in my career goals - in my life, in general.

In the summer of 2020, my best friend, who works as a communication partner for Alex, introduced me to his friend, having told me for months about how remarkable Alex was. I was absolutely amazed by Alex's intelligence and his achievements.  I too, began working with Alex and got to watch him ace exam after exam with his online classes. Some days, I would watch Judy teaching students, and I was even more inspired by the work she is doing. She has helped so many students talk!  I’ll never forget the day I saw a student of hers talk for the first time. It was truly inspiring and such a wonderful, and actually indescribable, experience.

Working with Alex has inspired me to help others and to be a spelling to communicate practitioner. I want to be able to help other people the way I help Alex, and I want to be able to help develop a voice for those who cannot talk, but definitely have something to say.
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LAURIE COLLINS, RN
CERTIFIED S2C PRACTITIONER

The youngest of my 4 sons, Liam, was diagnosed with autism and intellectual disability at a very young age. Despite early intervention and implementing a multitude of therapies, he never babbled or spoke. Liam has used several types of AAC communication devices over the years but he was never able to fully express himself until we were introduced to S2C.

In April 2020, I read an email about a Zoom talk about S2C given by the mom of a non-speaker. What caught my eye (and literally changed our lives) was one line in boldface print. It read,
 
“Nonspeaking is NOT the Same as Non-Verbal: Don't Make the Same Mistake as Me.” 
 
The Mom (Judy) said her 25 year old son was considered to be “low functioning autistic, non-verbal with a low IQ.”  It sounded eerily familiar—like she was describing my son (Liam, age 18). I decided we would start learning this new communication method because we had nothing to lose. One of my many concerns had always been that Liam wouldn’t be able to share things that happened to him-- good or bad. Shortly after he returned from sleep away camp, he answered a question about how the experience was.  Liam spelled, ”really so loved it.”  For my nonspeaking son to have the ability to convey those feelings was absolutely priceless! We continue to learn from, and about, Liam, but most importantly, he now has a VOICE.
 
Although being a Mom is my most important job, my previous professional experience is in healthcare. I am an RN, as well as, Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM), and an adjunct professor teaching nursing students. I have worked primarily to provide healthcare to uninsured/under-served patients. I am a firm believer in science and objective research. It is for this reason, that I waited several months before telling my family members and close friends about S2C. Watching Liam spell words and thoughts on a letter board is completely incongruous with everything we thought we knew about him and everything we had been told by doctors and educators. However, I could not unsee what I had seen. And that is why I decided to become an S2C practitioner. I want to be able to give to non speakers and their families the same gift we have been given--the gift of communication where EVERYONE has a voice.
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DEB FISCHER
OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR

As the mother of an S2C speller and member of the Mouth to Hand family, I firmly believe in the presumption of competence for every learner.  My son, Ben, began working with Judy during the summer of 2020.  As his communication skills developed, it opened up an entirely new level of understanding and connection between us, which even in those early months, was transformative.  Everything I always suspected he understood was confirmed through S2C…and he knew that I FINALLY got it!  There are truly no words to adequately express how that has profoundly changed our relationship. It’s an emotional and incredible journey that we are still in the early stages of exploring and learning! 

I am very excited to be a part of the Mouth to Hand team, and look forward to contributing to the supportive and positive leaning environment at the Center, as well as assisting in the overall day to day operations of this amazing practice!  
Having worked in both New York and London before having my family, my professional background is in legal administration, and most recently in the sensory science field. During the years when I was home raising my children, I served on several boards of community and school organizations that advocated for inclusion and civil rights for individuals with special needs. While in college, I worked with special education students as a teaching assistant and taught literacy during summers in under-served communities.

When I am not busy with work and family, my interests include singing in a barbershop quartet (I sing the lead part!), watching Marvel and Harry Potter movies, walking outdoors, reading, listening to music by a firepit and spending precious time with my family and friends.

I cannot wait to meet you at the Center!