Spell to Communicate
Grounded in presuming competence, we will focus on developing new motor pathways to help your Speller reliably and accurately point to letters on a letter board in order to communicate.
Leann Kuebelbeck, Spellers Method Provider
Leann Kuebelbeck, DVM, DACVS is a Spellers Method Provider at Letters for Freedom. She completed her Spellers Method training and certification while volunteering and later working at the Spellers Center Tampa under the mentorship of Drs. Dana Johnson and Melanie Conway.
Leann brings a uniquely broad and accomplished background to her work. She is an entrepreneur, longtime business owner, and a Board-Certified Large Animal Veterinary Surgeon. She earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Kansas State University and co-founded Brandon Equine Medical Center in Brandon, Florida, later becoming its sole owner. Over the course of her 30-year equine veterinary career, Leann also served as president and board member of several respected veterinary organizations.
After retiring from Brandon Equine and relocating to the Dallas–Fort Worth area, Leann’s professional focus shifted in a deeply personal way. She became interested in spelling to communicate as a means to help her stepson access the language that was trapped within his apraxic body and to support his ability to express himself.
At Letters for Freedom, Leann works closely with individuals and families, coaching the Spellers Method and supporting non-speakers and unreliable speakers as they develop their voice through letter boards. She helps spellers build skills that can be carried into multiple settings and relationships. Leann considers herself fortunate to draw on decades of clinical experience that required careful observation, attunement to subtle body language, and regulation of energy—skills that now play a vital role in her intuitive, respectful approach to co-regulation and communication support.
112
successful projects
3265
days of experience
47
happy clients
How can I help you?
Understanding Apraxia (dyspraxia)
Apraxia is a “brain-body disconnect” that affects many non-speaking or minimally speaking autistic individuals resulting in Spellers that have intact language, thoughts, emotions, and understanding, but experience difficulty expressing them due to challenges with praxis—the ability to plan, initiate, execute, and adapt voluntary motor movements.
Coaching for Communication
A CRP is a trained family member or designated support person who
works consistently with the speller outside of provider sessions. We will
coach the CRP in strategies that support regulation, motor planning, and accurate letter selection, helping to promote continuity and progress
between sessions.
Purposeful Movement
Through guided practice, we incorporate basic purposeful movement exercises that are tailored to the individual’s needs and abilities. When practiced consistently, these exercises can enhance regulation, support motor planning, and contribute to more productive communication sessions.
Referral Network for Online Occupational Therapy Services
Occupational therapy services with OTs who specialize in supporting individuals with apraxia. This can be done in your own home with limited basic equipment.
Referral Network for Developmental Optometrist Evaluations
Many of our Spellers have visual processing or functional vision
differences, even if a standard eye exam says their vision is normal (20/20 vision). This can look like: difficulty tracking, poor visual attention, convergence problems, visual-motor coordination issues, light sensitivity or visual overwhelm, or depth perception challenges.