University
- Sandra Verhoeff
- Apr 13
- 6 min read
University is tough.
But can you imagine how difficult it would be if you:
Had no formal education from Grade 1-12
Had a diverse ability
Couldn’t talk
Had an apraxic body that would not do what you asked it to do
This is Luke.
He wanted this. At least to try. He wanted “the paper” to prove his intelligence.
So we met with the Thompson Rivers University Accessibility team in May of 2024. It took a few months of back and forth, giving them names of universities to contact in the US that currently have or had Speller students. Gratefully, they stepped up. And despite the few roadblocks... they eventually came “on board”.
I mean, it’s all new.
To us, to them.
Unprecedented here.
Paving the way.
And then we met Matt… he believed, and he supported Luke. Unquestionably. He guided us through the initial process, and connected us with supportive accommodations. And he regularly emailed us to check-in.
By November 1st, Luke was enrolled in his very first post-secondary course: English 1001: Literature and Composition I.
It was the most reasonable and obvious choice, given that he wants to be a writer, and typically first year university students are expected to take one of these entry-level courses to affirm and finesse their ability to write a solid essay.
But that was the unknown. How much time would this take—specifically for Luke—to write an essay, one-letter-at-a-time.
And could he?
Did he even know how?
We started.
I read all the short story readings assigned to him from The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction.
“Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin. “Royal Beatings” by Alice Munro.
“The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. “Rules of the Game” by Amy Tan
“Paul’s Case” by Willa Cather.
etc.
We stalled.
He tried Assignment #1—a 500 word diagnostic essay in the form of a letter, based on a short story we had read—with Brittney, our beautiful and new CRP in Kamloops.
Luke struggled. It was a bit of a tough go.
He spelled “ANXIOUS I’LL FAIL.”
To be honest, I was starting to have some niggling doubts. Sigh. [I have since apologized, and obviously and happily eaten crow.]
We hit the books again. This time to do a deeper review and learn (for the first time) the structure and expectations of an essay. We read chapters that weren’t assigned just to get more information from the textbook “The Bare Essentials” about grammar, thesis statements, opening, body, and closing paragraphs. It is an amazing resource for all things writing. It was enlightening. It was educational, lol.
We decided to try with Madison, as she had a few more years of experience supporting other clients with homework and tutoring; something Brittney will eventually learn [and I have no doubt Luke and Brittney will one day find success.]
Saturday, January 18, Madison came to Kamloops for a 2-day workshop.
She read the Assignment, and asked Luke the right (write?) questions.
They did an outline together.
And Luke began to write—a couple paragraphs per hour—finishing it when we saw Madison a month and a half later, on Saturday, March 1st.
Here is Luke’s Assignment #1: A Letter to Joel to convince him that he should read “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin.
“Sonny's Blues” Letter
Dear Joel,
I think you would love the short story “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin. The story is a somewhat tragic tale of a black man in Harlem. Sonny struggles with addiction and becomes isolated from his family. I recommend this story for its incredible depth of character, theme of hardship and vivid imagery.
Sonny’s character is complex. He has this deep duality to him: lightness but also immense darkness and he struggles between them. Sonny dreams of being a musician but his brother discourages him from this path. His brother, who is unnamed, does not see music as a viable career path for Sonny, although music is what lights Sonny’s soul . As life goes on Sonny’s path darkens and he struggles with addiction, eventually ending up incarcerated. The darkness consumed Sonny and he was alienated from his family. When he gets out Sonny is reunited with his brother and returns to music. The reader sees light in him return. Sonny’s character highlights the depth and complexity of the human experience.
Sonny’s life is riddled in hardship from being a black man in Harlem, an addict and a criminal. It often felt as if the odds were stacked against him. There is a theme of persevering struggle and a cycle of hardship. Sonny is caught in this cycle and cannot seem to get out. Even his brother had given up trying. It isn’t until Sonny’s incarceration and his brother loses his daughter that they reconnect, their hardships bringing them together again. Hardship has this unique ability to rip individuals apart but also unite them again. Sonny’s and his brother’s struggles highlight the duality of hardship.
“Sonny’s Blues” has exquisite imagery. The contrast between lightness and darkness is symbolic of Sonny’s hardship. Towards the end of the story we see his light return as he plays music again. “There isn’t any other tale to tell, it’s the only light we’ve got in all this darkness. And this tale... these are Sonny’s blues.” (Pg. 78). “Blues” entail imagery of sadness but also lively music. Sonny isn’t without darkness but in that moment, he finds light. In fact, it is likely that the darkness was necessary for Sonny to find his light once more. Again, we see the depth and duality of Sonny’s hardship through rich imagery.
“Sonny’s Blues” is an important story and I recommend you immerse yourself in it, Joel. The story of two brothers’ struggles really resonated with me although our lived experience is so different. I have struggled as a non-speaker and have found my light in spelling and poetry . You have struggled in your own right finding your light in God. These are not the same struggles as the brothers Baldwin writes about, but their story is relatable. The way Baldwin creates so much depth to Sonny’s character, explores themes of hardship and uses imagery is masterful. I hope you enjoy the tale as much as I did.
Videos of Luke working on this Assignment, with his CRP (Communication Regulation Partner) Madison Imber of Mentoring Minds (Calgary, AB).
January 18, 2025
March 1, 2025
When it was done, we submitted it. And it was critically reviewed, with some good and some questionable comments.
He got a 69%, the top range of a C+.
Wowza.
Not too shabby for someone who never had any “real” English or writing or spelling education.
He submitted Assignment #2: An essay on “The Yellow Wallpaper” about the descent into madness of a postpartum-depressed mom.
He got a 71%, a B-.
Again with some critical remarks, sigh, but constructive ones, too.
He is learning.
University is hard. For a lot of freshman. An eye-opener.
It’s the exam that is going to be stressful.
And we’ll probably need an extension to finish the course.
It all comes down to this: Presume Competence in ALL nonspeaking people who are austistic. Presume they have the intelligence and are competent enough to take on anything.
When we asked Luke how he felt about university and this first course, this was his reply:
Starting a university level English writing course has been an eye opening experience. Honestly it's been a lot more difficult than I expected. In fairness, I have no formal education. Literally jumping into the deep end. I’m proud of myself. I used to think I wanted that degree paper to show the world how capable I am, but I’m not so sure anymore. I have good accommodations but the task of writing hundreds of words for an essay is arduous. I’ve come to realize my worth is not found in what I produce but in who I am. I’m excited for my future whatever it might hold. I create my own destiny.
To me, that’s an A+ answer.
PS. We are looking for a local (Kamloops and area) tutor for Luke to help him continue his university education (or whatever continuing education he decides to pursue). The ideal person would also be willing to learn the Spelling for Communication or RPM methods, and we will help with finances for the training, with an expectation of a minimum 6 months commitment. This must be the right person for Luke; someone who has experience working with people with diverse abilities, and/or someone who is eager and willing to learn. Hours are flexible; 4-6 per week. Hourly rate depends on experience. Please send resume and cover letter to verhoeffluke@gmail.com. Please share with friends and family. Thanks in advance!
British Columbia is in need of more Communication Regulation Partners. There are a variety of methods with different costs. Different training methods are anywhere from a few months to six-eight months online/part-time. After training is complete, CRPs charge $50-75/hour and the average CRP charges between $85-100 after the first year of learning/experience. One-on-one training is available if interested in becoming Luke’s personal CRP. Please contact us if you'd like more information or check out these agencies:: https://www.thisisluke.ca/spelling-as-communication
