About UT

Unspoken Thoughts, LLC was created in 2013 by founder and director Shannon Zish. Over the past decade, the UT team has been working to increase opportunities for individuals with motor impairments, limited functional speech, and autism. Beyond individual skills sessions and general support for clients of all ages, our UT Academy provides academic courses, functional skills groups, and social groups. UT is physically located in Vienna, 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 students who have never used a letterboard, starting with one-on-one sessions is a must, although more experienced students often schedule sessions for continued growth.

In sessions, providers gradually build a client's sensory tolerance, regulation, and control through short lessons, writing prompts, casual conversation, and outings into the community. Every interaction is crafted by providers to help clients practice 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, so we call them our Co-op courses.

Co-op runs for 4-5 hours on Monday-Friday, and Co-op students often participate in all classes each week office. Some clients choose to participate only in specific courses.

Social/Skills Groups

Clients wanting to expand their skills beyond one-on-one lessons can register for one of the many groups UT hosts throughout the year on a semesterly basis. 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 educational institutions

-attend classes with your student as a communication partner

-train school or other support staff

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