Heather Burroughs on Presuming Competence & NY’s Communication Rights Bill

Podcast: The David Kaufer Podcast: The Lighter Side of the Spectrum · David Kaufer

Opublikowano: 2026-04-24

David interviews Heather Burroughs, a school psychologist and advocate shaped by growing up with an autistic sister and later fighting for her non-speaking daughter Devin, who has a rare genetic condition. Heather recounts an eight-year federal court battle after a school district refused to allow Devin’s service dog as a reasonable accommodation, spending major resources to argue Devin lacked competency; media attention, including a billboard, helped draw Department of Justice involvement. She describes how traditional services like years of speech therapy failed to unlock communication, while motor-based spelling/letter boards revealed Devin’s complex language and preferences, underscoring the...