Let's Talk! - with Elizabeth Bonker

Hey there readers! Do you wonder what it would be like, when two non speakers, armed with digital voices, sit down for a chat? Do we spill the tea about something interesting, or plan to meet IRL or just ideate about our vision to help the world understand us better?

Well, wonder no more, for here I am, in a freewheeling chat with Elizabeth Bonker, the musical artist, who heads Communication 4 ALL, a non-profit that works in the space of promoting access to alternative mode of communication for non speaking autistics.

Thank you Elizabeth, for taking time off your busy schedule, for this conversation 

1. First of all, could you tell us one fun thing about yourself that no one knows about?

Aditi, no one has ever asked me this question before, probably because I’m such a serious person. That reminds me of a story about fun that I’ve not told anyone about before. About 2 and a half years ago, I was watching TV with my family on a Sunday night and the phone rang. It was my mentor, Judy Heumann. Here in the US, Judy is known as the “Mother of Disability Rights” for her 5 decades of leadership. Well, Judy asked me to hop on a Zoom call so I could type to communicate with her. She asked how I was, and I immediately dove into all our challenges with getting nonspeakers access to typing, especially in schools. She let me type away for 10 minutes and then said with a big smile, “You know Elizabeth, all work and no play makes for a dull activist. How’s your love life?” That was Judy: a serious activist who loved life. We lost her on March 4th 2023, and I miss her every day. I try to remember her advice to have more fun. Last month, I attended NEXT for AUTISM’s Night of Too Many Stars. It was fun.

2) Tell us a bit about Communication 4 ALL. What motivated you to start this organisation and what is it’s mission?

Communication 4 ALL is a nonprofit with the mission to give all nonspeakers access to communication and education. (When I use the term “nonspeakers” I include those with minimal speech and those who repeat words and phrases.) Communication 4 ALL has three strategic initiatives. First, C4A Academy is a program of internet-based instructional videos, written lessons and support to teach nonspeakers how to type. We start on stencils because the letters are larger, and the coaching is easier to reach them. Second, we have Regulation 4 ALL, our initiative to help nonspeakers with dysregulation. Eight years ago, I took a gap year before going to college to get myself out of fight or flight. I had to be able to sit calmly in a classroom. A scientist monitored my heart rate variability (HRV), and I was able to move to safe mode with natural interventions. We are currently conducting research with 50 nonspeakers led by Dr. Elizabeth Torres who runs the Sensory Motor Integration Lab at Rutgers University. Our ultimate goal is to create a free app so every nonspeaker can have better regulation, which means better typing and quality of life. Our third strategic initiative is C4A Schools. We work with innovative public and private schools to train their staff to teach their nonspeakers to type. 

3) You have visited India twice. Which city did you like better- Bangalore or Kolkata?

Aditi, that is unfair. I can’t choose between them because I loved the people and disliked the stray dogs in both places. I am afraid of all dogs, even small ones on leashes. They are unpredictability with teeth. As you know, I was in Bangalore in 2023 to present at the India Inclusion Summit, the Woodstock of the Disability World. I met so many incredible activists there, and quite fortunately, you. The All Inclusive Foundation arranged for us to meet with 5 schools who were eager to use C4A Academy to teach their nonspeakers to type. In Kolkata, I presented at the national PARIVAAR conference. As you well know, PARIVAAR is a parent-led organization for families with autism and other developmental disabilities with more than 300 chapters across the country. It was wonderful to share Communication 4 ALL with representatives from 21 of the 29 Indian states. After the conference, we met with seven organizations, and we have high hopes for how we can work together. I hope to return to both Bangalore and Kolkata as well as visit other parts of India for our global mission. 

4) What are some core memories of your trips to India?

For each meeting, I would do a 30-minute presentation and then answer questions. It was incredible how these Q&A’s lasted for two hours or more. Families and teachers asked how it is possible to teach a nonspeaker to type if they don’t know how to read. My answer was that nonspeakers age 5 and above know how to read whatever language they are exposed to. With C4A Academy, we are not teaching them how to spell words. We are teaching communication partners how to coach a nonspeaker’s finger to touch the correct letter. It is a motor exercise. With practice, nonspeakers can learn to type and be educated. I will always remember the light of hope in the mothers’ eyes when they understood that they can teach their child to communicate with them.

5) When you are not travelling for advocacy, what do you like to do?

I live in Florida, and I love to visit my grandmother who lives at the beach. Swimming in the ocean calms my body and feeds my soul. I also love to travel where I get to meet wonderful advocates like you. 

6 You write poetry and more recently, song lyrics. What are some inspirations for your songs?

In 2011, 70 of my poems were included in my book I Am in Here.  In 2022, I wrote lyrics for songs on the I Am in Here advocacy album and The Bleeding Hearts wrote and performed the music. I have found that music opens the heart so the head can listen. The ten songs on the album help people understand what it feels like to be a nonspeaker. I wrote “Silent Cage” to give voice to those who remain voiceless. Our anthem “I Am in Here” expresses the joy when we learn to type. My inspiration comes from knowing that this book and album have saved souls from suffering in silence.

7) What is your favourite childhood memory?

My favorite childhood memory is my mother holding me in her arms and reading to me. It was an act of love and courage. All of the medical and educational experts had told her that I was intellectually disabled because I couldn’t speak but she didn’t believe it. She saw in my eyes that I was in there and kept filling my brain with stories, poetry and songs. That’s one of my main messages for families with nonspeakers: keep feeding their brains.

8) What is the one myth about non-speaking autism that you want to bust?

We must bust the myth that nonspeakers with autism have an intellectual disability. We have a motor disorder called dyspraxia. We can overcome our dyspraxia and learn to type with coaching and practice shown in Communication 4 ALL’s instructional videos. With communication, life goes from hopeless to hopeful. 

9) What’s next for Elizabeth, the advocate, and for Communication 4 ALL?

At the beginning of 2025, we created cardboard stencil sets so families would have the tools that they need to get started on their typing journeys. We currently have 22 instructional videos, written lessons, a case study, and a Facebook community with more than 1000 members. Our next offerings will be focused on expanding our case studies. We have a 31-year-old man named Jordan who has severe dyspraxia who proves our mantra: “It is never too late to teach a nonspeaker to type.” I am eager to get these resources out to the world so I will continue to travel including presenting at the Autism Europe Congress in Dublin in September. I would also like to return to India and look forward to working with you on our shared mission.

It was lovely chatting with you Elizabeth! Here’s wishing you all the best for the future endeavours.

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Dear Reader,

I am sure you enjoyed this conversation as much as I did! Do let me know in the comments if you would like to see more such conversations in the future! Until next time, toodle-oo