Save your spot for the FREE summit happening August 10-13 all online!

Most of us have referenced the Communication Bill of Rights, printed it out, maybe hung it on the office wall. But how many of us have actually sat with what each right means in real life? In part one of this series, Nicole reads all 12 rights and then goes deep on the first four, using real classroom stories to show where these rights get honored, and where they quietly get violated.

In this episode:

(00:03) What the Communication Bill of Rights is, and who publishes it (the NJC)

(02:06) Reading all 12 rights out loud, in full

(03:30) Right 1: Dignity and respect in all interactions, and why it comes first

(06:30) When adults call kids lazy, stubborn, or noncompliant in front of them

(09:48) The girl who kept falling asleep, and the chair that got taken away

(11:45) Right 2: Meaningful communication that is culturally and linguistically appropriate

(13:00) The AAC device that only spoke English in a family that did not

(17:00) The Halloween costume moment that taught Nicole a lasting lesson

(22:47) Right 3: Being addressed directly, not talked about as if not there

(24:00) A simple, professional way to shut down disrespect in the moment

(25:08) Right 4: Receiving a response to all communication, even when the answer is no

(26:00) "Matthew tomorrow," and why ignoring a child is never the goal

(29:59) Holding boundaries without dismissing or ignoring kids

(32:21) Why these rights should guide our decisions, not just decorate the wall

(33:00) The Child-Led Autism Summit, August 10 to 13, free and virtual

Resources mentioned:

- NJC Communication Bill of Rights, third edition (search "NJC Communication Bill of Rights")

- National Joint Committee for the Communication Needs of Persons with Severe Disabilities

- The Child-Led Autism Summit, August 10 to 13, free virtual event: childled.org

- The Child-Led Collective: childled.org/collective

About Nicole:

Nicole Casey is a speech-language pathologist and the founder of The Child-Led SLP and The Child-Led Collective. She helps SLPs, OTs, special educators, and autism support professionals move from compliance-based practice to child-led, neuroaffirming care, with the frameworks, resources, and community to actually make it happen. She hosts the Let Them Lead podcast and runs the annual Child-Led Autism Summit.