Siri
Welcome to Spell Your Voice, founded by Sirisha Bhagavatula. Our mission, powered by Siri's
unwavering commitment, is to empower families with special children, unlocking their hidden
potential. Siri brings extensive experience in diverse modalities for training and teaching
individuals with special needs. As a mother of a special needs son, she understands firsthand the
challenges and complexities of effective teaching. She has been teaching spelling on the
letterboard at Spell Your Voice since 2018.
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The journey with autism began when Siri's son Sahit was diagnosed at 14 months old.
This initiated a quest for answers to heal his body and optimize his brain function. Siri
explored many techniques — OT, Prompt Speech, Son-Rise — before finding spelling on
the letterboard, which has significantly changed Sahit's quality of life.
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The first stage is academics. Siri starts every student by pointing at letters to answer
age-appropriate lessons. This builds the motor skill, the accuracy, and the confidence that
spelling requires, and it is the foundation everything else is built on.
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The second stage is turning the spelling inward. Once a student is steady on the board,
Siri teaches them to channel that same skill toward their own body — naming their
discomforts, their feelings, and their emotions. She teaches this deliberately, step by step.
It does not happen on its own, and it is where the real change begins.
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The result is freedom. A speller who can express what is happening inside can
communicate with doctors and teachers, share their own ideas and interests, and build
real friendships. Autism is just a diagnosis that should not undermine an individual's
potential. Presuming competence and fostering inclusion begins within the family and
extends to the community.
I strongly emphasize the Brain, Body, and Behavior connection:
Working with the Brain
Teaching spelling with age-appropriate content opens the communication channel and improves
quality of life.
Training the Body
Addressing sensory challenges and creating a customized pathway to independence through
learning hobbies and participating in group activities.
Teaching a Hobby
Spelling on the letterboard serves as a foundation for training the body to understand and master
hobbies like badminton. Challenging the body with difficult tasks helps alleviate repetitive
behaviors, aggression, and OCDs.
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Siri has successfully applied these principles, helping Sahit and other students learn activities
such as badminton, riding a skateboard, biking, and playing basketball. By challenging the body
and focusing on motor skill development, she diverted the brain's attention, leading to positive
outcomes.
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For instance, teaching Sahit to ride a hoverboard controlled his screaming episodes, while
badminton minimized OCD behaviors. Siri has supported numerous autistic children in
desensitizing memory loop behaviors through activities like biking without training wheels,
skateboarding, scootering, and playing badminton.