About UT

Unspoken Thoughts, LLC was created in 2013 by founder and director Shannon Zish. Since then, the UT team and our services have evolved with the community, but we focus on working to increase opportunities for individuals with motor impairments, limited functional speech, and autism.

Beyond individual skills sessions and general support for individuals of all ages, we also run many groups. Our UT Academy provides academic courses for school-aged students and UT PLUS provides programming for adults. We also have mixed groups that focus on games, functional skills, books, writing, and community. Our services and groups will continue to evolve with our community's needs.

UT is physically located in Fairfax City, VA, but we do support virtual participation for students who cannot feasibly travel to the office for services.

Services Overview

To get in touch for more info and book specific services, head over to our Book Services page. Please email contact@unspokenthoughtsllc.com with any general questions about how we can help.

Note: These summaries do not cover the many ways these services are individualized for each students' autonomy goals both in classrooms and in their daily lives as part of society as a whole. We want to work with you to make these services as meaningful as possible for your specific needs.

One-on-One Sessions

For individuals who are new to RPM, starting with one-on-one sessions is a must, although more experienced students often schedule sessions for continued growth.

In sessions, providers gradually build the individual's sensory tolerance, regulation, and control through lessons, writing prompts, activities, and social situations. Every interaction is focused on individuals building functional skills.

Academic Courses

The Unspoken Thoughts Academy holds middle and high school academic courses throughout the school year at the UT office. These courses typically supplement our students' homeschool educations.

Academy runs for 4 hours on Monday-Thursday. Beyond academic courses, we incorporate RPM into building hobbies and functional skills.

Social/Skills Groups

Individuals wanting to expand their skills beyond one-on-one lessons can register for one of the many groups UT leads throughout the year. Some examples include our Young Adult Discussion Group, Games Group, and Book Club.

These groups often have a mix of in-person and virtual participants, with students either using their own communication partners or coming to the office to be supported by UT staff.

Educational Consulting

If you have school-age or college-age students, Unspoken Thoughts can provide a variety of consulting services to help your student access appropriate educational resources.

We can help:

-navigate disability accommodations in other educational settings

-attend classes with your student as a communication partner

-train school or individual support staff

-design a homeschool curriculum that works for your students' goals