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Chapter 1: Why do many families believe their child will never speak?
So many of the families that come to me have been told repeatedly their child will never talk or they're shocked by the diagnosis. Within six months their child started talking and what they really pointed out is in order to follow my recommendations they had to leave their ego behind and trust that my recommendations would bring them the progress that they thought was impossible.
Elissa Mendel is a certified speech language pathologist, autism specialist, and founder of Speech Works by Elissa. She has over 30 years of experience helping nonverbal autistic children build communication and independence through parent-led strategies.
I want to give a child the life that I was able to achieve. I want them to be able to talk and live independently without struggles.
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Hello and welcome back to another episode.
Sat here today with Alyssa and she is on a mission to totally change, help and disrupt an industry. Super amazing work she's got going on, changing thousands of lives. I'm so excited to dive into today's episode. Welcome to the show. Thank you so much.
So I know you're so, you know, focused and passionate about changing lives through the speech work you're doing and the business you've built to help people. If people don't know what that is, let's start there. Tell us a little about yourself and the business and how you help people. Sure. I'm Elissa Armandel, and I am a speech-language pathologist and an expert in autism.
I am also the creator of SpeechWorks by Elissa, where I've sought out the most progressive techniques in the world, not just for my clients, but for myself. I'm late diagnosed, and I guide parents of nonverbal autism. autistic children and speech late children how to teach their child and guide their child through developmental milestones in order to learn how to talk and live independently.
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Chapter 2: What role do parents play in their child's communication progress?
For kids on the spectrum, they have different learning styles. So they need visual prompts, tactile prompts, physical prompts to learn how to move those muscles. So I just don't target those muscles. I target bigger movements like gross and fine motor, which we need to tie our shoes, zip, brush our teeth, anything that is possibly needed.
I also help with special interests like playing a musical instrument, which requires fine motor coordination. And then also later developing skills like vocational skills. They might need to be able to thrive independently as an adult.
And what is, you know, an example of, do you have, you know, someone you can think of maybe where the parents were told, you know, this child's never going to speak, right? And they were distraught, obviously, and shocked. And then they came through your, you know, program and all your advice and implemented it. And what was the end result? The end result is thriving, basically.
The latest family that I've helped, I just did an interview with them and I learned so much just from the interview, but they had in their mind that their child would never talk. And that was because of a medical professional said that to them? Yes. And that they had just before seeing me accepted that their child would be a baby for the rest of their life.
And so within six months, their child started talking. And what they really pointed out is in order to follow my recommendations, they had to leave their ego behind. behind and trust that my recommendations would bring them the progress that they thought was impossible.
And how many children is this affecting that are getting a similar pattern where a doctor diagnoses it, says they're never going to talk, it is what it is, you're going to have to live with that and don't find you. Like how many people is this affecting yearly or in the world? Well, we know that autism is being diagnosed more and more.
There's a controversy on whether there's an increase in rise or if it's just professionals are getting better at diagnosing. And so right now, I believe the CDC numbers are 1 in 36. And MIT did a study that by 2028, it will be 1 in 2. Hmm. Gosh, and what percent generally won't ever be able to talk? I believe that autism is a spectrum.
So it's usually kids that need more support that have more motor planning difficulties. And is that where you specialize on those cases where they're generally being told they'll never be able to? Yes, that's where I specialize. But I... My specialties do hit every child on the spectrum.
And do you believe if everyone, say every child on the planet that got diagnosed was told they couldn't talk and the parents came to you and went through the program, Do you believe, from your experience and results, a large portion would, and that just because they're being told they won't, it's a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy, right?
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Chapter 3: How did Elissa's personal experience shape her mission?
Trying to figure out a way to put a camera on their head and earpiece so I can be with them minute by minute throughout the day. And do you think there'll be more medical technologies evolving that can maybe support in it? Like, you know, now in the health space you have vibrating pads and muscle stimulation pads, right?
So do you see that coming into this industry and being able to provide a support there too? It already is. And like I said, I seek out the most progressive techniques. Mm-hmm. I started doing that because I couldn't read and write. So at age 28, when I became a speech-language pathologist, I sought out the most progressive programs and taught myself.
Throughout the last 30 years, there have been so many progressive tools that prompt a muscle, or there's a device that goes in the mouth and hooks up to the computer to give... a child visual cues on where to put their tongue. There's now infrared light that helps to improve executive functioning with the frontal lobe. So there are so many techniques.
So it's getting better and better and better, yeah. And a lot of companies know that I search out the most progressive techniques and will contact me to introduce their new system. So it's really for you now, you've been doing this a long time, you have the system sort of down. Obviously, it's never 100% the human body is the human body. You can't predict anything, right?
But you know what to kind of do when you meet certain children and people and families and they're in certain situations. So it's for you now a big... part of it is getting out there, right? Spreading the message and spreading the awareness. So how do you plan to do that? What are some things you're working on on the business side to really spread that awareness?
Well, for myself, I've been in private practice for 30 years and I've never had to market, never have had to brand. My approach was so unique that it just went through word of mouth with a lot of high profile clients all throughout the world. And for the last decade, I've been trying to figure out a way to get my approach out to more families.
I can only see a handful of clients within my private practice. My families have told me repeatedly, you have to get this out. It would be a travesty if you left this earth and nobody else used this approach but the families you're seeing right now. And so for 30 years, I've been searching, and then about three years ago,
Christine Morrell is one of my coaches also the team at clickfunnels they have really helped me to learn how to create an online marketing program you as well thank you so much for your contribution and to reach more people learning Marketing skills online marketing skills was a challenge for me as an autistic adult. I have unique learning style It's hard for everyone.
I mean, no it is in a room 120 people Yes, it is it's very challenging but I have to say click funnels were really embraced my needs I requested accommodations that I need to thrive and they really helped me one-on-one and And I am really grateful to be able to get my online coaching parent membership portal out there and reach more families, make a difference.
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Chapter 4: What are the challenges parents face in finding support for their child?
I want to give a child the life that I was able to achieve. I want them to be able to talk and live independently without struggles and empower parents to be able to give that to their child. That's great. And how many children do you think you've helped so far? Thousands upon thousands. And how many more do you want to help from here? Millions and billions.
I think every family deserves to have this information. And you said one thing that stuck out to me, you know, you said one in 36 right now, roughly predicted, and you said that number is going to increase. Is that correct? Yes. Why is it going to increase? Is it more awareness and diagnosis of it? Or is it lifestyle and nutrition and effects in the womb that's increasing?
There's a lot of different speculations on what the cause is and why there's an increase, but everything you just named is being discussed now. This past April was Autism Acceptance Month, and it was the first time the whole world was really concentrated on it and aware of that specific month because RAFK in the middle of the month gave his speech.
So I know there's controversy and I'm not political, but I am happy that there is dialogue going on at the government level. And I feel like they're going to find more and more answers.
with diet with nutrition with vaccines i came from the sports science world and i know there's a lot of things in nutrition you know a lot of the junk food and stuff that's came into the western diet in the last 40 50 years has has linked back to autism and a lot of different diseases and issues and birth defects in there and all sorts right but i remember back in my nutrition days there was a lot of you know different dyes and additives and things being added so
Do you think that's one of the big reasons that its cases are increasing potentially is because of the change in the diet in the last 40 years? I think it's a combination of everything. There seems to be a correlation between the immune system and children on the spectrum have a lower immune system. Interesting.
So a lot of the children on the spectrum, they get sick more often in later life too, do they? Yes. Got it. Yes. And so nutrition, obviously, you know, supplements and healthy foods are going to raise that immune system. They've done research on vaccines. They don't feel as though vaccines have caused autism, but they feel because of the immune system. Yeah, it changes and changes.
that they have a different reaction. The thing with vaccines is you create a vaccine, you implement it, but you don't see the effects for 50 years, right? Like that's the problem with vaccines. Yeah, we saw that during COVID. Of course, and many previous vaccines, you see the next generation, you see a small percent, right?
Maybe 1%, 2%, 3%, 4% that are now impacted because of them with the vaccine. And there's a strong correlation between genetics as well. Of course. Yeah, of course. Good. So last couple of questions for you.
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Chapter 5: How do motor planning and auditory processing affect communication?
Good. Love it. Well, I hope everyone out there can show some support, love, and obviously share and spread the word. It's so amazing what you're doing. I'm very excited for your episode to talk about your story and everything you're doing. Just as we finish today, can you maybe tease a couple of things that people are going to learn from your episode that's coming out and your story a bit more?
Sure, I would love to share that. I talked about the challenges when I grew up undiagnosed. I wasn't diagnosed until I was 28. Yeah, that's very tough. It's almost tougher, right, than being, because you don't have all that support. And I was finally diagnosed going for my third master's degree. Wow. And it changed my life, getting that diagnosis.
And it took me another 30 years to find the supports I need to actually thrive. Wow. Well, I'm excited for that episode. And I'm sure that, you know, as inspiring as the work you do is, I'm sure the story behind it is equally, if not more inspiring too. So excited for that to air.
And that's what we're all about here at the studios is these sort of stories and the entrepreneurial ventures like yours that change the world and make a difference. So super proud of what you're doing and excited for it all to come to air. And everyone out there, check her out, support her. And thank you for coming on. I'll see you guys soon. Take care.
Thank you, Rudy, for helping me to make a difference in so many families lives. My pleasure. Take care, guys.
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