Speechless Dream: Narratives on Autism, Inclusion and Hope

Anantha is a non-speaking autistic boy, but that does not mean he has no voice.

Through poetry and non-fiction prose, Speechless Dream: Narratives on Autism, Inclusion and Hope shares Anantha's poignant interpretation of the harmful effects of therapeutic and educational practices that aimed to remediate his autistic self into something more "normal." Interwoven into his narrative are the stories of the people whose lives intersected because of Anantha's dream to receive an education.

Speechless Dream highlights the harmful impact ableist belief systems and practices have on autistic children, especially those who are non- or minimally speaking. The story also reveals that when we come together from a place of acceptance, powerful opportunities exist to support neurodivergent students in education.

By sharing our journey, we openly commemorate our successes and hope to create provocations for researchers, jurisdictional leaders, and educators to re-examine their beliefs and practices so that students with disabilities are more ethically and equitably included in school.

Anantha Krishnamurthy is a minimally speaking autistic teen. He is an avid Math enthusiast passionate about pursuing a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education. When Anantha is not dreaming about STEM, he has grand designs of becoming a fiery writer, shooting down barriers autistic people face with his words. Anantha regularly publishes his poetry on Neuroclastic and his blog, Anantha Muses (ananthamuses.blogspot.com). Anantha has constant cravings for friendships and donuts.

Janani Ramanath is trained as an architect, has a master's degree in architectural lighting design, and works as a freelance lighting designer in Calgary, Alberta. Her parenting journey has taken her through many unexpected albeit interesting twists and turns. She is passionate about communication rights, presuming competence and inclusive education. Unwinding with novels or movies is her guilty pleasure.

Robert Choate is an educator that specializes in inclusive best practices for autistic students. He has worked with neurodivergent youth for his entire career and strives to be a strong advocate and ally for those voices that are not always heard. He is excited about the growing momentum to do right by and learn from diverse learners. Robert enjoys spending time in nature with his dog Harley in his free time.

Chandra Lebenhagen has been an educator and autism ally for over 20 years. She recently completed a doctoral degree in curriculum and education, where her research explored the self-reported school experiences of autistic youth in Canada. Through her private practice and various research and writing projects, Chandra aims to work with others to help dismantle and reshape ableist systems and methods in research and education. She never tires of coffee and the Rocky Mountains.