What a wonderful day at our Tucson Spellers Summer Pool Party! There is something special about seeing our community come together outside of lessons and events to simply enjoy each other’s company. We spent the afternoon swimming, laughing, relaxing, sharing stories, and making new friends. The food was incredible, with a beautiful spread that kept everyone well fed and coming back for seconds. The gorgeous outdoor space provided the perfect setting for a summer gathering, with plenty of room to swim, play, and connect. Days like these remind us that communication is about more than words. It is about friendship, belonging, and building a community where everyone is welcomed and valued.

A huge thank you to Marley and her family for so generously opening their home and hosting our Tucson Spellers community. Your kindness and hospitality made the day possible, and we are so grateful. Thank you to everyone who joined us. We are already looking forward to the next gathering!

In May, we celebrated the release of the ✨ Tucson Spellers Poetry Anthology ✨ at Las Milpitas Community Farm, surrounded by beautiful weather, a beautiful setting, and an even more beautiful community.

Local spellers had their poetry and creative writing shared aloud, displayed their original artwork, and even brought some of their original songs into the evening. There was laughter, there were tears, and so many meaningful moments of connection in between.

This gathering was a beautiful, communal, and supportive celebration of something so many people worked incredibly hard to create. Moments like this are why Tucson Spellers exists 🌵 Thank you to everyone who showed up, supported, created, and made the night what it was 💚

Want to order the book for yourself? Find it on Amazon by searching Tucson Spellers Poetry Anthology 💚🌵

Last night, Tucson Spellers community members had the chance to attend a showing of The Reason I Jump atThe Loft Cinema and it was such a meaningful evening. Getting to watch this film together, surrounded by community, felt really special.

Ahead of the film, we got a chance to hear from Dani Bowman (from Netflix's Love on the Spectrum) and John Elder Robison (autism advocate and author of Look Me in the Eye) during a sincere and impactful Q&A.

John and Dani spoke in front of a full audience here in Tucson, using that space to advocate for nonspeaking individuals and the importance of inclusion, understanding, and access to communication. John's fierce and energetic advocacy for the nonspeaking and spelling communities, both here in Tucson and all over the world, was nothing short of inspiring

We also want to give a special shoutout to Niko Tax, one of our Speller Advisory Committee members, who met with John and Dani before the event for a conversation. Letter by letter, Niko shared about his experiences and our community, and he represented Tucson Spellers with incredible insight and intention

We left this special evening feeling grateful, inspired and moved to tears. Thank you to @intermountaincenters for hosting this amazing event!

What a wonderful day at the All in for Autism: Dino Day and Walk. It was so meaningful to see so many of you come out to connect, support, and be part of this incredible community event.

Our Tucson Spellers table stayed busy the entire time, and we loved having the opportunity to share more about spelling as a pathway to communication. Events like this truly matter. They create space for awareness, connection, and continued growth in how our community understands and supports nonspeaking individuals.

We are proud to show up alongside organizations doing important work across Southern Arizona, and especially grateful to Autism Society of Southern Arizona for hosting such a well organized and impactful event.

An extra special thank you to Kate Elliot for always believing in us and in this work. Your support continues to make a difference. We are already looking forward to next year

Tucson Spellers came together for the Race for Communication in support of the International Association for Spelling as Communication (I-ASC). We had a beautiful morning at Agua Caliente Park surrounded by nature, community, and a shared commitment to something important. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who showed up, walked, cheered, connected, and stood in support of communication access for all.

This event was all about our devotion to inclusion, to empowerment, and to the belief that all nonspeakers deserve access to communication and the opportunity to be fully seen and heard. Together, we raised awareness for our community, IN our community, and supported the vital work of I-ASC.

We came together in the peaceful, grounding space at Sanctuary Cove to share poetry straight from the heart, and it was nothing short of powerful. There is something so special about witnessing voices unfold in this way, and this gathering was a reminder of just how much depth, insight, and emotion lives within our spellers.

A heartfelt thank you to Eric Van Meter for being such an incredible curator of this experience. From readings of well loved poets, to the deeply personal and moving poetry of our spellers, every moment felt intentional and meaningful.

To everyone who attended, supported, shared, and held space with us, thank you. This community continues to show up in the most beautiful ways.

Tucson Spellers had the joy of attending an inspiring event hosted by Teva Community at the University of Arizona Poetry Center, where Brian Laidlaw performed a stunning set of songs composed by nonspeaking autistic lyricists in collaboration with Unrestricted Interest. These pieces highlighted the depth, humor, creativity, and brilliance of spellers who communicate through letterboards and keyboards, celebrating the many ways nonspeaking minds create, express, and connect—including works written by Arizona spellers during Teva Community retreats in Prescott. 💛

🌲✨ Poetry in the Pines ✨🌲 What an amazing event - hearing everyone’s beautiful, thoughtful, and creative poetry shared among the pines and fresh mountain air was truly incredible. The inclusive environment made this comfortable for all levels of spellers and writers. We then got to enjoy a hike around Rose Canyon Lake together, solidifying our sense of community with one another 💙

✨ What an incredible journey! ✨ Our Abstract Art Experience with the amazing Matthew Palmo and Indicator Art left us in awe of the creativity and beauty that poured out of this series. Matthew guided each artist to discover and express their unique vision, and we are so grateful to the professional artists who joined our final critique—their thoughtful insights and encouragement made our spellers and artists feel truly seen and celebrated. A huge thank you as well to the Autism Society of Southern Arizona for opening their welcoming space to us, making this event possible. And to our spellers and artists: you created masterpieces that reflect some of the most beautiful minds—we could not be more proud! 🎨