Our Story
Every voice deserves to be heard.
Suncoast Spelling Center was founded on the belief that every individual has a voice, and everyone has the right to be heard.
For the first 19 years of his life, Gabe Alto lived without a reliable way to communicate. Though deeply intelligent, empathetic, funny, and kind, he was labeled cognitively disabled because his apraxic body prevented him from communicating all he knew.
After discovering Spellers Method®, Gabe and his mother, Jade, trained with Dana Johnson at Spellers Center Tampa, where he learned to communicate on a letterboard and eventually type independently.
Through that journey, Gabe found his voice and began advocating for all nonspeakers.
Suncoast Spelling Center was a dream that started with the idea of bringing spelling to Sarasota families, but has grown into a plan to build an inclusive community full of opportunity.