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Autism Acceptance Month | Find Autism Support at Lindamood-Bell

Apr 9, 2025
 
 

In recognition of Autism Acceptance Month, we are sharing our belief in the learning potential of all individuals—including people with autism.

 

Improving Comprehension for Students with Autism

Peer-Reviewed Research on Autism

The Cognition, Brain, and Autism (CBrA) Lab at the University of Alabama collaborated with Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes to study the comparative effects of Visualizing and Verbalizing (V/V) on the brains of children on the Autism Spectrum. This fMRI study, highlighted in several peer-reviewed papers, examined activity in the brain’s language areas during comprehension tasks.

Dr. Rajesh Kana, the head of the study, reported that “V/V resulted in changing brain response patterns in children with autism—more focused, specialized brain activity and functional connectivity as a result of intervention.” Associated significant increases in language comprehension were noted against matched controls.

Note. Figure used with author’s permission.

Read about the effect of Lindamood-Bell instruction with students on the autism spectrum. Download summaries and get links to full articles published in scholarly journals on the Research & Development pages of our website.

The CBrA Lab is enrolling participants for a new study using the Visualizing and Verbalizing program. For more information:

www.cbra.ua.edu

(205) 202-0616

cbralab@ua.edu

 

Watch to Learn More about Research on Autism and Comprehension

The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Cognition, Brain and Autism Center studied the effects of Visualizing and Verbalizing® (V/V) on the brains of children on the autism spectrum. Watch a video that features lead researcher, Dr. Rajesh Kana, and participating families.

 

Visualizing and Verbalizing Results for Students with Autism

Average Age: 12.1

Number of Students: 1,085

Average Hours of Instruction: 132.5

Program Implemented: Visualizing and Verbalizing

Download results of Lindamood-Bell Learning Center instruction for all students, including those on the autism spectrum.

 

Hear from a Lindamood-Bell Family:

“When I first heard the terms Sensory Input and Concept Imagery, I didn’t fully understand how they could help Isabella. As a parent, my biggest hope is for Isabella to understand the world—whether it’s in books, conversations, or everyday life.

“The Visualizing and Verbalizing program was a game-changer. It didn’t just help Isabella recognize words; it taught her how to truly understand and use them in her mind. Within weeks, I noticed a transformation. She began to see the world differently—more clearly, more completely. Her confidence blossomed, and she started engaging in conversations and participating in life in a way she never had before.

“I realized she was never truly shy, she was just lost in the meaning of the words around her, as if everyone else was speaking a different language. But through this program, she finally understood, and with that understanding came the ability to express herself. It was incredible to watch her go from a “shy girl” to a very confident one.

“The combination of storytelling, visualization exercises, and thought-provoking questions made all the difference. It encouraged her to think, listen, and actively create the world she saw in her mind. As a hands-on parent, I could never have achieved this on my own—the techniques used are so unique and powerful that they’re hard to put into words.

“The results speak for themselves. Before Lindamood’s program, I was unsure of what to expect, and I got back a confident, expressive, and engaged beautiful daughter!”

– Maribel, mother of Isabella, UAB student

 

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Cognition, Brain, & Autism Lab is recruiting participants for their reading comprehension study.

 

In the News

Read this article in Exceptional Parent Magazine.

 

Autism Support at Lindamood-Bell

Lindamood-Bell instruction is based on the individual learning needs of each student. We can make a difference for students of all ages and abilities, including students with autism. Many students with an autism diagnosis have received instruction using Visualizing and Verbalizing for Language Comprehension and Thinking (V/V).  

Contact us for information about instruction at our Learning Centers, including one-to-one summer instruction and instruction starting now, live-online or in person. 

Families seeking a complete school solution can explore Lindamood-Bell Academy, our K-12 California-accredited private school, live-online or safe, in person, where allowed. Now enrolling for the 2025-26 school year.

Educators can attend teacher workshops to learn the steps of our evidence-based approach. Learn more about our professional development here.

Connect with us
What happens when phonics instruction has been tried, but reading is still difficult?

Join us for our free webinar, More Than Phonics: What Makes Lindamood-Bell Different, to learn why some students need more than decoding practice to become confident, independent readers.

We’ll explore why phonics alone may not address every student’s learning needs and how Lindamood-Bell develops the sensory-cognitive processes that underlie reading and comprehension.

📅 Thursday, October 15
🕙 10 a.m. PT | 1 p.m. ET | 6 p.m. BST

Can’t attend live? Register anyway, and we’ll send you the recording.

🔗 Register at the link in bio @lindamoodbellofficial.
🎉 40 Years of Changing Lives Through Learning

📖 1998: The Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing® (LiPS®) Program is published.

Lindamood-Bell co-founder and speech-language pathologist Patricia Lindamood and her daughter, Phyllis Lindamood, revised the Auditory Discrimination in Depth (ADD) program and published the Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing® Program for Reading, Spelling, and Speech (LiPS®).

The LiPS® Program helps students develop phonemic awareness by teaching them to discover and label the mouth movements that produce speech sounds. Students learn to identify and sequence sounds in words, then apply those skills to reading, spelling, and speech.

Follow along as we celebrate 40 years of changing lives through learning.

Learn more about Lindamood-Bell at the link in our bio, @lindamoodbellofficial.
“He took off when he learned to read.”

Waseem struggled with reading throughout school. Then, through Kentwood Public Schools’ partnership with Lindamood-Bell, he received Seeing Stars® instruction from a teacher trained in the program.

Today, Waseem is a fourth-year medical student.

Hear Waseem share his journey and the impact learning to read had on his life.
▶️ Watch the full video at the link in our bio, @lindamoodbellofficial.
🎉 40 Years of Changing Lives Through Learning

📚 1997: Two new programs become part of the Lindamood-Bell story.

Nanci Bell published Seeing Stars®, designed to develop symbol imagery, the ability to visualize letters and words for reading and spelling. Long overlooked in literacy instruction, symbol imagery addresses what is a missing piece for many struggling readers.

Nanci Bell and Kimberly Tuley also published On Cloud Nine® Math, designed to develop numerical imagery for number sense and mathematical reasoning.

Nearly 30 years later, both programs remain core to Lindamood-Bell instruction and our commitment to helping students learn to their potential.

Follow along as we celebrate 40 years of changing lives through learning.
Learn more about Lindamood-Bell and our instruction at the link in our bio, @lindamoodbellofficial.
October is Dyslexia Awareness Month 💙📚

For more than 40 years, Lindamood-Bell has helped students with dyslexia strengthen the skills needed for reading and learning.

Research shows what’s possible: with targeted, intensive instruction, students with dyslexia can make significant gains in reading, and studies have documented measurable changes in the brain systems that support reading.

Learn more about our approach, student outcomes, and the research behind our work. Follow the link in our bio, @lindamoodbellofficial.
🎉 40 Years of Changing Lives Through Learning

Our next milestone takes us across the globe!

🌏 1996: Our first international Seasonal Learning Center opens in Sydney, Australia.

This milestone meant more students and families could experience Lindamood-Bell instruction, helping students strengthen their reading skills and learn to their potential.

Follow along as we celebrate 40 years of changing lives through learning and the milestones that brought us here.

Learn more about Lindamood-Bell at the link in our bio, @lindamoodbellofficial.
🎉 40 Years of Changing Lives Through Learning

Our journey through 40 years of Lindamood-Bell continues with a milestone from 1993.

1993: The first Lindamood-Bell International Conference is held in Shell Beach, California.

In addition to program workshops, attendees had the opportunity to hear from professionals and scholars in the fields of learning, literacy, and cognition. Over the years, our International Conference has featured influential voices such as Allan Paivio, Jane Healy, and Temple Grandin, among many others.

Follow along as we continue celebrating 40 years of changing lives through learning and sharing the milestones that brought us here.

Learn more about Lindamood-Bell at the link in our bio, @lindamoodbellofficial.
🎉 40 Years of Changing Lives Through Learning

Our look back at 40 years of Lindamood-Bell continues with another milestone from 1992.

🏢 In 1992, Lindamood-Bell partnered with Motorola on a workplace literacy project designed to strengthen reading and comprehension skills for manufacturing associates and engineers. The project brought our approach to adult learners in a new setting and reflected something we still believe today: learning can happen at any age.

Follow along as we continue celebrating 40 years of changing lives through learning and sharing the milestones that brought us here.

To learn more about Lindamood-Bell click the link in our bio, @lindamoodbellofficial.
Attention Educators: Free Leaders in Literacy Webinar

Join Lindamood-Bell for Deeper than SoR: How One District Closed Gaps and Exited Students from Special Ed

📅 October 7, 2026 | 11 am PT / 2 pm ET / 7 pm BST

Hear how Madeira City Schools moved beyond scripted phonics instruction to build educator expertise, strengthen intervention, and improve outcomes for struggling readers and students receiving special education services.

Register now and bring practical insights back to your classroom, school, or district - Follow the link in our bio, @lindamoodbellofficial.
🎉 40 Years of Changing Lives Through Learning

Our next milestone takes us to 1992!

📍 1992: First Learning Center outside of San Luis Obispo opens in Sacramento, California

Six years after Lindamood-Bell was founded, we expanded beyond our San Luis Obispo roots with the opening of a Learning Center in Sacramento.

It was an important step in our growth, bringing Lindamood-Bell’s one-to-one, individualized instruction to more students and families.

Follow @lindamoodbellofficial as we celebrate 40 years of changing lives through learning and revisit the milestones that shaped our story. ❤️

Learn more at the link in our bio.
🎥 Now Available On-Demand: Online Instruction That Actually Works

When you think of online learning, you might picture large virtual classrooms where it can be difficult for students to stay engaged. Lindamood-Bell online instruction is a different experience: live, one-to-one instruction with individualized support and active student engagement.

See what an online session actually looks like and learn about the research and results behind our reading instruction.

👉 Watch the recording at the link in our bio, @lindamoodbellofficial.
🎉 40 Years of Changing Lives Through Learning
As we continue looking back at the milestones that have shaped Lindamood-Bell, we’re returning to where it all began.

📖 1986: Nanci Bell publishes Visualizing and Verbalizing®

The same year Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes was founded, co-founder Nanci Bell published Visualizing and Verbalizing for Language Comprehension and Thinking®, introducing an approach designed to develop concept imagery, the ability to create an imaged gestalt from language.

The program grew from Nanci’s work with students who could read words but struggled to understand, remember, and think critically about what they read.
Today, Visualizing and Verbalizing® remains central to our approach to developing language comprehension and higher-order thinking skills.

Follow @lindamoodbellofficial as we celebrate 40 years of changing lives through learning. ❤️
Learn more at the link in our bio.
🎧 New Podcast Episode!

Lindamood-Bell for Schools Director of Development Dave Kiyvyra speaks with Winifred Winston and LeDerick Horne from the Black and Dyslexic podcast about the dyslexia identification and support gap.

They explore disparities in dyslexia identification, limited access to effective reading instruction in many communities, and the challenges families face in understanding and securing the support their children need.

Listen and subscribe at the link in our bio, @lindamoodbellofficial.
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