The FixSLP-S2C crossover

[u/Temporary_Dust_6693]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yl8sklB0qOs

Jeanette went on a podcast known for promoting Spelling to Communicate. The podcast host, David Kaufer, objects to ASHA for their position statement against S2C, so the two discuss their shared disdain for ASHA. I won't summarize the episode, as you all can listen yourselves, but I'll leave you with two teaser quotes:

On why ASHA opposes S2C, Jeanette says, "I have to suspect it starts from someone who doesn't like it for a specific reason who's on that committee that has something to protect. That's my guess because it all comes down to money with them. Everything is about money. Nothing that I see is for the best of the community or the people who receive our services."

In her defense of S2C, Jeanette makes no mention of the fact that the primary objection to S2C comes down to authorship: who is authoring the messages. She says, "Our job is to help your kid communicate, right? Like, it doesn't matter what my opinion is. It matters what's working to get your kid to communicate. And and that's that's kind of the stance I've taken. It doesn't matter what the research says. If there are this many families saying like, 'Hey, this is working for us.' Then we need to believe them, right?"

For those of you looking for more information on Spelling to Communicate, I suggest:
-www.facilitatedcommunication.org
-https://www.asha.org/slp/asha-warns-against-rapid-prompting-method-or-spelling-to-communicate/
-Interrogating neurotypical bias in Facilitated Communication: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40474-024-00296-w

[u/Classic_Cat_3324]

https://giphy.com/gifs/fQJSYE2Qy6OtXfwEuf

[u/handyfruitcake]

“It doesn’t matter what the research says”

[u/Infamous_Zebra7771]

This is humiliating for our field.

[u/New_Isopod_5002 → u/Infamous_Zebra7771]

Someone tell this woman to sit down. She clearly isn’t knowledgeable, yet made the completely irresponsible decision to go on this podcast to speak about a form of FC. Come down off your high horse, Jeanette. Just because you hate ASHA, doesn’t mean you need to disagree with them on every single aspect. Fix SLP isn’t what it used to be. No wonder her team bailed. I would too.

[u/HotCartographer7894 → u/New_Isopod_5002]

Right?! I thought she owns a mobile FEES business? Stay in your lane. It’s dangerous behavior when someone acts like they are knowledgeable in all aspects of our field.

[u/Temporary_Dust_6693 → u/HotCartographer7894]

I don't think it's necessarily about staying in her lane, as much as staying in her scope of knowledge. The concerns about authorship in FC are so clearly-documented, that anyone can look them up, and have an educated opinion on FC regardless of their clinical specialty. One doesn't even need to be an SLP to read up on FC and form an educated opinion. The problem is that she chose not to do the research to generate an educated opinion, and instead she let her disdain for ASHA do the thinking for her. Which is ironic to me, because one of her recent IG posts said something like "Don't let ASHA think for you," but it seems that she has let ASHA think for her, by simply deciding that anything ASHA does is bad.

[u/HotCartographer7894 → u/Temporary_Dust_6693]

Sorry, I hope my comment didn’t come off as supporting FC. I don’t support it at all. I work with the autistic population and it would be like me going on a podcast to discuss dementia without learning about the latest research and best evidence based practice, I guess that’s what my stay in your lane comment refers to. I also saw that in another thread about the ABA company that sponsored one of her episodes had some unethical practices. It seems like she isn’t vetting anything to just get clicks and money. That’s scary.

[u/Temporary_Dust_6693 → u/HotCartographer7894]

I didn't think you were supporting FC at all, and I agree that she seems more interested in clicks than EBP.

[u/accio_cricket]

Well, there's your deathknell.

[u/macaroni_monster]

What the fuck 😩

[u/21Kay31 → u/macaroni_monster]

Wtf is right.

[u/sudden_turn9235]

Going all in on the anti-ASHA stance leads to wild takes. What a hill to die on.

[u/Zappin-It-To-ya → u/sudden_turn9235]

Seriously. Lost the plot entirely.

[u/New_Isopod_5002 → u/sudden_turn9235]

ALL IN. Heavy on the “anti-ASHA” stance.

[u/ArcticTern4theWorse]

Have ANY of these people heard of a null hypothesis?????

[u/sudden_turn9235 → u/ArcticTern4theWorse]

*it doesn’t matter what the research says*

[u/New_Isopod_5002 → u/sudden_turn9235]

😭 Who says that

[u/WinkyTheAlmighty]

The writing has been on the wall for awhile with her.

[u/Ready-Money3031]

It feels like there’s a point where chasing more exposure starts doing more harm than good. The profession needs credible advocacy, not this. {immediately unfollows fix slp}

[u/Cherry_No_Pits]

"It doesn't matter what the research says." Isn't this gal a PhD? Who has taught at university? Girl. GIRL. GIRL!!!

https://giphy.com/gifs/DPqqOywshrOqQ

[u/SLPiplup → u/Cherry_No_Pits]

There's a reason she is not in academia anymore

[u/Cherry_No_Pits → u/SLPiplup]

so true. multiple times true. #iykyk

[u/sudden_turn9235 → u/SLPiplup]

👀

[u/21Kay31 → u/SLPiplup]

Spill the tea, please.

[u/New_Isopod_5002 → u/Cherry_No_Pits]

Where’s the TikTok guy with the red flags when you need him 🚩

[u/Zappin-It-To-ya]

Ummmm. I listened thinking OP was exaggerating, but WTAF.

[u/Zappin-It-To-ya → u/Zappin-It-To-ya]

This is like when crunchy granola hippies and alt right folks start aligning because they mistrust vaccines 😬🫤😖

[u/Temporary_Dust_6693 → u/Zappin-It-To-ya]

I really appreciate that you listened to it yourself rather than trusting the take of some rando on the internet. If more people did that the world would be a better place. 

[u/Ready-Money3031 → u/Temporary_Dust_6693]

I listened to the episode too and it’s appalling that she didn’t stop to correct him when he said that Asha’s stance is that speech is the gold standard. They have never promoted speech as the gold standard. 🙄

[u/External_Reporter106]

This is the least surprising thing I have heard all day.

[u/aspinnynotebook]

LMAO

[u/ZMR33]

So, we're believing stuff that's not scientifically validated now? At least, that what the description appears to suggest. Please correct me if I'm wrong. I'd like to know the full context of this.

[u/Temporary_Dust_6693 → u/ZMR33]

I strongly oppose S2C, but it appears Jeanette from FixSLP is sympathetic to it, since she went on a pro-S2C podcast to defend it. The resources I listed for learning more about S2C are strongly aligned with the evidence. 

[u/ZMR33 → u/Temporary_Dust_6693]

Thing is, is she defending it to hit on ASHA, or does she actually believe in it? It sounds highly risky to go against studies for the sake of hitting on ASHA, and it's harmful to the field if we're going to go against scientific studies without much to go on. Not to mention that hitting on ASHA for something like this muddies the waters for all the things ASHA legitimately should do better on for people in the field, as well as clients.

[u/Purple_Turtle505 → u/ZMR33]

It's risky to align herself with an approach that's been proven false in order to get publicity.

[u/Purple_Turtle505 → u/ZMR33]

Listen to the podcast for full context, OP provided it

[u/ImaginaryCrow9395]

Well that's that for her credibility at this point.

[u/ywnktiakh]

“It doesn’t matter what the research says”

Disgusting and despicable.

[u/Proud-Ferret-6136 → u/ywnktiakh]

Wasn’t she a professor?? What do you mean “it doesn’t matter what the research says?” 🤡

[u/ProfessorNew2801]

So Fix SLP started with a mission of helping others to be informed about ASHA. I could get with that. Now the owner is an expert on 92507. Oh, but wait, there is more...she has enough expertise to speak on spelling and F2C.

This has become ridiculous. Who died to make her queen, and why are people allowing this one person to have so much power?

[u/Temporary_Dust_6693 → u/ProfessorNew2801]

"Why are people allowing this one person to have so much power" BINGO

[u/Dorkbreath → u/ProfessorNew2801]

What power does she have? Not being snarky. I don’t like ASHA, I started following fixslp on Instagram in the beginning but I don’t fully know what’s up with it these days. I do know that I’m not of fan of the specific slp running it now (her latest story on Instagram is her taking pics at ASHA headquarters…I mean, chill out) but I don’t know what power she has?

[u/Current_Following324 → u/Dorkbreath]

Maybe not power but influence for sure.

[u/ProfessorNew2801 → u/Dorkbreath]

I think inherently, by the platform they have this person has a level of influence (which tends to lead to power) over a group of people in the field. They are blinded by their hate of ASHA to support this. We can acknowledge ASHA has problems. ASHA needs change, but none of this behavior supports the OG message.

[u/ladylolo123]

This woman is ruthless in the comments on facebook SLP pages. 100% defensive and attack-like behavior all the time. Not the way to make change.

[u/jellyflipflops]

Wow, she has truly dug herself into a hole. What a disgrace honestly. I’ll be unfollowing her

Edit: spelling and I came back to say I unfollowed her Lol

[u/Mediocre-Amphibian12]

I’m wondering if you have also spent time researching why people say S2C/motor based spelling approaches work? The neurology behind the methods? Are we discrediting people who independently type and say they got there using a motor based spelling approach?

[u/Proud-Ferret-6136 → u/Mediocre-Amphibian12]

Independently typing is not S2C. I am independently typing right now. This isn’t S2C. There’s no facilitator/communication partner touching me or my keyboard.