#181: Every Non-Speaking Child Should Have Access To Robust AAC with AAC User, Jordyn Zimmerman

#181: Every Non-Speaking Child Should Have Access To Robust AAC with AAC User, Jordyn Zimmerman

From The Autism Little Learners Podcast by Tara Phillips

June 30, 2026 · 1h 5m · Season 2 · Episode 181

About this episode

Jordyn Zimmerman discusses the importance of robust AAC for non-speaking children and shares her personal experiences and advocacy work.

Imagine understanding every word around you while the adults talk over you like you're not even there — and not having a reliable way to communicate until you're almost 19. That's part of Jordyn Zimmerman's story . Jordyn is an autistic woman who is non-speaking and a full-time AAC user, and in this conversation she shares, from lived experience, what will change how you show up in your classroom. Communication is a basic human right. It is never something a student has to earn, and there are no prerequisites for AAC. None. We talk about why a lack of speech is not a lack of language , what an AAC-rich environment really looks like, the difference between requesting systems and robust language-based AAC, and what "presume competence" actually means as an action, not just a phrase. Jordyn also shares her advocacy work and the simple, powerful truth that every learner deserves a way to comment, question, joke, disagree, and tell their own stories. A quick heads up before you listen: Jordyn prepared some answers ahead of time and responded to others in real time, so you'll hear pauses between each question and Jordyn's answer. I challenge you to resist the urge to fast-forward…

People in this episode

Host: Tara Phillips

Guest: Jordyn Zimmerman

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