THE
CURRICULUM
The Bridge curriculum is thoughtfully designed to take you from foundational understanding to practical, hands-on skills. Through a combination of online learning, live meetings, and in-person training, you’ll develop the expertise needed to support nonspeakers with confidence, compassion, and competence.
Course Overview
The Bridge Part 1 is an online educational curriculum. We are in the process of building out Part 2, a training program for practitioners, so stay tuned.
The online curriculum consists of 9 modules with 30 minute classes embedded within each module. Participants will have access to watch video lessons and listen to recorded classes led primarily by Maria and Natalia with guest lectures sprinkled throughout the modules. These courses acquaint them with the foundations of spelling while they step into the world of the nonspeaker. We will cover essential topics that build as you move through the course, and will support you if you have a nonspeaker in your life, or if you plan to pursue becoming a practitioner. We are agnostic in our support for various existing spelling programs so we will be combining information and techniques with an interdisciplinary approach. We welcome students who are completely new to this information, or students who have familiarity from other spelling programs but would like to dive deeper. Part 1 will require a total of ~ 20 hours of your time and will be self paced within a set window timeline. The online courses do not qualify you to teach spelling to a non speaker. Part 2 is required to have the skills to begin that journey which will be run in small cohorts starting in 2027.
What makes The Bridge
Different
Holistic Approach
We don’t just teach spelling techniques we integrate motor coaching, nervous system regulation, relationship building, and the deeper understanding of what it means to support someone whose body doesn’t always cooperate with their mind.
Research-Informed
Our curriculum is grounded in current research on apraxia, motor planning, and alternative communication, combined with years of practical experience working directly with nonspeakers.
Nonspeaker-Centered
Nonspeakers have shaped every aspect of The Bridge. Their voices, experiences, and wisdom guide our teaching, ensuring that the training serves the people who matter most.
