Studying Understanding Without Speech: Neuroimaging Minimally Speaking Autistic Individuals

• By: Isaiah Tien Grewal Stony Brook University School of Social Welfare LEND Fellowship Program Morgan D. Barense University of Toronto | Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest Hospital Karen Chenausky, PhD, CCC-SLP MGH Institute of Health Professions
• July 9th, 2026
• autism research, dyspraxia, fMRI, HD-DOT, language comprehension, minimally speaking autistic individuals, neuroimaging research, nonspeaking autism, Summer 2026 Issue
• 9    0

Minimal speakers (MS) represent one-third of the autism spectrum, yet only 2% of autism research participants (Russell et al., 2019). Research conclusions based on people unlike minimal speakers in significant ways may be skewed, leading to profound misunderstanding. We aim to correct...

Core Learning Characteristics of Autism and Their Implications in Typing to Communicate

• By: Janie Burke, MA, MS John Burke, PhD, BCBA-D, LBA Dr. John Burke and Associates, LLC
• July 9th, 2026
• AAC research, augmentative and alternative communication, dyspraxia, motor planning, neurodiversity-affirming practice, nonspeaking autism, stimulus over-selectivity, Summer 2026 Issue, typing to communicate
• 8    0

This article bridges the gap between decades of research in the field of autism and the actual cognitive-motor mechanics that define an autistic learning profile. Our objective is to cleanly identify why traditional Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) models often fail: they...