Dawnmarie Gaivin

Dawnmarie Gaivin is the Founder & Executive Director at Spellers Center San Diego, located in Oceanside, CA. Before her career moved into the world of autism, Dawnmarie worked for over 11 years as a trauma & transplant RN. In 2005 her first son was diagnosed with autism. A year later her second son followed the same path. Today her eldest, Evan (20), is a nonspeaker and fluent letterboard communicator. Her younger son, Trey (18), is a minimal speaker who uses multiple modalities for effective communication.   Dawnmarie - known by many as "DM" - is a former DIR/Floortime® provider, a current Spellers Method practitioner and an Assistive Technology Specialist (AT-ACP). In March 2021, her client Jamison Handley and his dad JB wrote a book entitled “Underestimated" about their journey learning how to use a letterboard for communication. In 2023, the award winning documentary SPELLERS, based loosely on the book, was released. SPELLERS beautifully showcases how spelling and typing as a method of communication has liberated many nonspeakers from a life of silence. Dawnmarie's children inspired her specific passion to support all nonspeakers in the development of purposeful motor skills and a reliable form of communication.