#181: Every Non-Speaking Child Should Have Access To Robust AAC with AAC User, Jordyn Zimmerman

Jun 30, 2026

Imagine understanding every word around you while the adults talk over you like you’re not even there — and not having a reliable way to communicate until you’re almost 19. That’s part of Jordyn Zimmerman’s story. Jordyn is an autistic woman who is non-speaking and a full-time AAC user, and in this conversation she shares, from lived experience, what will change how you show up in your classroom.

Communication is a basic human right. It is never something a student has to earn, and there are no prerequisites for AAC. None.

We talk about why a lack of speech is not a lack of language, what an AAC-rich environment really looks like, the difference between requesting systems and robust language-based AAC, and what “presume competence” actually means as an action, not just a phrase. Jordyn also shares her advocacy work and the simple, powerful truth that every learner deserves a way to comment, question, joke, disagree, and tell their own stories.

A quick heads up before you listen: Jordyn prepared some answers ahead of time and responded to others in real time, so you’ll hear pauses between each question and Jordyn’s answer. I challenge you to resist the urge to fast-forward through the wait time. Sitting with that silence is one of the most important skills of a good communication partner — in this episode, and in your classroom.

We’ll talk about:

• why a lack of speech is not a lack of language — and non-speaking is not non-understanding
• why communication is a basic human right, not something a student earns
• the real differences between PECS, core boards, and robust language-based AAC
• what an AAC-rich environment looks like, and why it’s hard to build in separated settings
• what “presume competence” actually looks like in daily practice
• Jordyn’s advocacy work — and why there are no prerequisites for AAC

In This Episode, You’ll Learn

• What Jordyn wishes the adults around her had understood about supporting AAC users
• Why consistent, individualized access to a communication system matters from the start
• How to build an AAC-rich, language-rich environment that goes beyond the device
• Why PECS is a requesting system, and what robust AAC makes possible
• How autonomy, choice, and agency separate true communication from requesting alone
• What presuming competence means as an action, including offering robust vocabulary from the beginning
• Why we shouldn’t limit a student’s vocabulary until they’ve “proven” competence
• Why honoring wait time is a core communication-partner skill

Key Takeaways

• Communication is a basic human right, never something a student earns
• There are no prerequisites for AAC — none
• A lack of speech is not a lack of language; non-speaking is not non-understanding
• Robust, language-based AAC offers autonomy; requesting systems alone do not
• An AAC-rich environment models language in every way, not just through the device
• Presume competence by offering robust language access from the very beginning
• Honoring wait time is part of being a good communication partner

Try This

• Resist the urge to fill silence — give real wait time and let the person respond
• Model language through AAC, not just spoken words, throughout the day
• Offer robust vocabulary from the start instead of waiting for “proof” of readiness
• Build an AAC-rich environment so every child both hears and sees language
• Look for any “prerequisites” in your setting — then work to remove them
• Assume the child understands, and talk with them, never over them
• Make space for commenting, joking, and disagreeing, not just requesting

Related Resources & Links

 Jordyn Zimmerman Website

Jordyn’s documentary

Preschool Autism Summit + VIP Day (Jordyn returns for a deeper conversation)

No research or framework can teach us what it feels like to understand everything and have no way to say it. When we presume competence, offer robust language from the start, build AAC-rich environments, and honor wait time, we stop asking children to earn their voices and start making sure they always have one. That is the work, and it changes everything.