The Spellers Guidebook

Dawnmarie Gaivin, RN, BSN, AT-ACP, is the co-creator of Spellers Method and the founder of Spellers Center – San Diego, a spelling and intentional motor practice based in Oceanside, California. As the parent of two nonspeakers who use letterboards, she knows firsthand the journey families experience on the road to fluency. DM, as she is called by many, was featured in JB & Jamie Handley’s book Underestimated as well as Spellers the movie, an award-winning documentary loosely based on the book. Dawnmarie is also president of the board of Spellers Freedom Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to providing access to reliable communication and creating communities with nonspeakers.
 
Dana Johnson, PhD, MS, OTR/L is the co-creator of the Spellers Method and founder of Spellers Center – Tampa. She has her master’s degree in Occupational Therapy and a PhD in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health and Development. Her career has canvassed multiple settings including the public school system, private clinics, and her own private practice focusing on autism, apraxia, and sensory-motor differences. Dana is a board member of Spellers Freedom Foundation. As a Spellers Method practitioner and OT, Dana focuses her work today on supporting the families of nonspeakers and spellers worldwide.