Evidence, Rage, and Relief: A Mom–Son Team on Finding Spelled Communication
Dec 08, 2025
When 8-year-old non-speaking autistic Rafael found text-based communication, he didn’t just start “answering questions.” He started telling the truth about his body, his anxiety, and the frustration of being misunderstood.
If you’ve ever looked at your non-speaking child and thought, “I know there’s more in there… I just don’t know how to reach it,” this conversation is for you.
Today I’m joined by Daria and her 8-year-old autistic, non-speaking son Rafael, co-creators of Spelling the Tea on Autism on Substack and Instagram. After discovering text-based communication, they realized how deeply Rafael had been misunderstood - and started documenting both his words and the science that helps explain them.
Inside the episode, we talk about:
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Rafael’s “goner mindset” before communication and what typing changed about his sense of the future.
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How apraxia creates a gap between intention and movement and why that gap gets mislabelled as “low IQ,” “behaviour,” or “non-compliance.”
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The concept of an “interference score” for food!
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How Rafael would redesign first in schools for non-speakers.
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Why regulation, communication, and learning are inseparable… and why independence in cognition does not mean independence in motor and sensory systems.
This is a humbling, practical, and very human reminder that:
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We can’t keep separating “behaviour,” “sensory,” and “cognitive” boxes.
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Research on autism that excludes non-speakers cannot be our only compass.
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And most importantly: sitting still is not a pre-requisite for real thinking or rigorous education.
You can find Daria and Rafael at https://www.instagram.com/spelling_the_tea_on_autism/
You can find Dr. Vaish Sarathy at https://www.instagram.com/drvaishsarathy/
Check out her 6 foundational tips on education at https://www.drvaishsarathy.com/nonlinearlearning
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Disclaimer: The information in this Podcast is for educational purposes only. Vaishnavi Sarathy, Ph.D. is an educator, not a doctor, specifically not your child’s doctor. Please consult your physician before implementing any supplement or diet recommendations.
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