About Us

Hi, I’m Rachael Earwaker.

I’m a wife, mother to Jack and Sam, and the Founder & Director of Spell to Connect.

My journey began with my son, Jack. He was nonspeaking until the age of seven, and in his early years, I searched for therapies to help him communicate. Through this search, I discovered letterboard communication and the Spelling to Communicate (S2C) method. It changed everything — not only for Jack, but for me. I began to understand autism differently, to see Jack’s intelligence clearly, and to realise that it was really motor and sensory challenges that could be supported.

I felt compelled to share this with others — therapists, teachers, families — to change perceptions and show that it is possible. This personal mission of unlocking communication for every individual from the nonspeaking and neurodiverse communities led me to obtain a Master’s in Primary Teaching, work in schools, and train as a certified S2C Practitioner.

From there, Spell to Connect was born. What started as a way to help my son has led me to be among the first to bring the Spelling to Communicate method to Australia. Today, it has grown into a dedicated space with certified practitioners supporting a spectrum of speech abilities – nonspeaking, minimally speaking, and unreliably speaking – to find their voice and express themselves fully.

Spell to Connect is more than a hub. It’s a place to feel heard, hopeful, and at home.