Laura Hirsh is an amazing mother, author, and autism advocate who has been featured here before. I am so excited to have her here again with her son Trevor contributing to this month’s In their Own Words series, sharing the words of nonspeakers and unreliable speakers who use Spelling to Communicate (S2C) to communicate. Trevor possesses some amazing gifts that he is now able to share through spelling. He and his mom have written a new book all about called More Than Meets the Eye, and I’m so excited that they are letting me share it here. And for the record, I didn’t steal her title lol 😉

The original “More Than Meets the Eye”

Ironically, another blog in this “In Their Own Words” series, is also titled “More Than Meets the Eye” which is the title of the newly released book that I co-authored with my son Trevor, who is a Speller. Trevor came up with the title nine months ago. Great minds think alike, I guess. He actually asked me to write a book with him about his life to inspire others through Spelling 2 Communicate (S2C).

Trevor is 25-years-old, and had been diagnosed with regressive autism at age 3 (we all know what that means), and is minimally speaking, but is now an open speller using a letterboard. Our book chronicles his journey through learning how to play the piano and sing at age 21, then finding his voice through S2C, and many other incredible gifts discovered through S2C, including telepathy with his horse and his “angels.”

I am going to share some of the amazing open questions from the book, and then ask Trevor to share a few new thoughts for the blog.

Trevor’s Thoughts

Trevor showing off his musical skills (Photo Credit: Laura Hirsh)

Hope And Purpose

Laura: “What purpose do you hope to fill in this world?”

Trevor: “TO TEACH OTHERS ABOUT LOVE.”

Laura: “If you could write me a card for Mother’s Day, what would you say?”

Trevor: “HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY MOM. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH.”
(First time he was able to say this to me last year, at age 24.)

Laura: “What is one way in which you would like others to presume competence in you and/or other nonspeakers?”

Trevor: “MOST NONSPEAKERS ARE INTELLECTUALLY ADVANCED LIKE ME.”

Laura: “What did you think about the movie ‘Spellers?’”

Trevor: “IT GAVE ME HOPE FOR THE FUTURE.”

Laura: “What is it like without communication versus with communication for you?”

Trevor: “WITHOUT COMMUNICTION, I WAS SO FRUSTRATED. WITH COMMUNICATION, I AM FINALLY FREE.”

A Special Connection

Trevor and Blackjack (Photo Credit: Laura Hirsh)

From the Horse Whisperer section of the book, where he spelled to me what he and his horse Blackjack talked about telepathically every week:

Laura: “You rode Blackjack yesterday, what did you talk about?”

Trevor: “HE ASKED ME ABOUT AUTISM.”

Laura: “What did you say?’

Trevor: “I TOLD HIM I AM VERY SMART, BUT PEOPLE DON’T SEE IT.”

Laura: “What did he say?”

Trevor: “I SEE HOW SMART YOU ARE.”

Laura: “What did you say back?”

Trevor: “THANK YOU FOR SEEING THE REAL ME.”

Trevor also spelled to me many things that no one told him, but Blackjack told him, including the names of two horses that died. Their connection is on another level.

Trevor riding Blackjack (Photo Credit: Laura Hirsh)

Believe In Miracles

After going to the healing modality called the Energy Enhancement System the day after a seizure, which left him with scrapes on his face, hand and foot.

Laura: “How did you feel in the EESystem today?”

Trevor: “I FELT MY WOUNDS HEALING. I FELT MY NERVOUS SYSTEM CALMING DOWN.”

Laura: “Is there anything else you want to tell other spellers starting out?”

Trevor: “I WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT THEY CAN DO THIS TOO. IT TAKES A LOT OF PRACTICE BUT IT IS WORTH IT.”

Laura: “Is there anything you would like to say to the readers to finish the book?”

Trevor: “I WOULD LIKE TO TELL THEM TO NEVER GIVE UP HOPE AND BELIEVE THAT MIRACLES HAPPEN WITH LOVE.”

Laura: “Is there anything else you want to add to the guest blog?”

Trevor: “YES. IF I CAN DO IT, I KNOW OTHERS CAN TOO.”

Laura: “Anything else?”

Trevor: “I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES.”

About the Book

A True Collaboration

More Than Meets the Eye is a collaboration between a mother and son, Laura Hirsch and Trevor Hirsch. Trevor was diagnosed with regressive autism at age three. He is now 25 years old. He does not say a lot verbally; however, Trevor learned how to play the piano and sing songs when he was 21 years old. Then, two years later, he started doing Spelling 2 Communicate, and learned to spell on a letterboard what he couldn’t say verbally. He spelled to his mom that he wanted to write a book with her about his life to inspire others. Trevor even chose the title of the book. As an author of numerous books, Laura knew she had to tell Trevor’s story. This method is giving a voice to the voiceless millions who have been trapped in a silent cage, and have been misunderstood their entire lives.

Unseen Gifts

If this wasn’t enough, since Trevor has been doing Spelling 2 Communicate, he has been able to share with Laura that he has other gifts of telepathy and mediumship, and has proven that he can communicate with his horse, and angels (people in spirit). There is so much More Than Meets the Eye in so many people that appear to be cognitively disabled, when in fact, their disability could be a motor planning disability. What if they have been in there all along, hearing and remembering everything their entire lives, but just not able to get what is in their mind into verbal communication? Spelling 2 Communicate moves communication from the small motor movement of speaking to the large motor movement of using the arm to point to letters on a letterboard with the assistance of a communication partner.

A Spelling Revolution

This book challenges the mainstream view of people with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, and will empower people to get their nonverbal loved ones “on board.” With the autism rate in America at 1 in 36 and rising – and with 40 percent of them considered nonverbal – parents need to know what is new and possible. Through spelled communication, many former nonverbal people with autism are finding their voices and changing their lives and futures. A spelling revolution is underway!

Laura Hirsch was born and raised in Wisconsin, and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater with a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication. She is the author of numerous books including The Other Side of Autism, Foundation of Discovery, and Widowed too Soon, and is a co-author and blogger for the popular autism organization, The Thinking Moms’ Revolution. Laura has been a health freedom activist for many years, and was featured in the award-winning documentary Genetic Roulette, about Genetically Modified foods. She is also a reformer pilates instructor and the proud mom of two incredible young men, Trevor and Damon. They live in the Reno, Nevada area. For all of her books, and videos of Trevor singing, playing piano and doing S2C visit: www.laurahirschauthor.com

Trevor Hirsch is Laura’s older son, and is now 25 years old. He was diagnosed with regressive autism at age three and is minimally speaking. He is finally having his voice heard because of Spelling 2 Communicate. He has worked really hard for the past two and a half years, and is now an open speller! Laura can ask him anything, and he spells out his thoughts on a letterboard. His journey over the past few years has been an absolute miracle. First, his musical talent, playing the piano and singing, became evident. Then, through Spelling 2 Communicate, his intelligence, thoughts and feelings, and even his telepathic gifts that have been hidden all these years came shining through. He is a musician, a horse whisperer, and a medium. He wants to share his story to inspire others.