Nate's Triumph: Presuming Competence and the Fight for Inclusion

by Nate Trainor

Nate Trainor, born with Joubert syndrome, could not communicate with words until he was twenty-one years old. Stuck in a system that prematurely labeled him "profoundly retarded," Nate shares his battles with the public school system to be included, his incredible efforts to prove his intelligence, and the breakthroughs that finally gifted him with words and a voice.

207 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 3, 2021

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

With his own direct, compelling words, Nate Trainor shares his life’s journey from prison to freedom. He has never been able to speak and can’t control his hands to use sign language or most alternative forms of communication. Until he discovered—and spent a long time learning how to use—facilitated communication (FC), no one knew what he was thinking or the depths of his understanding. He was blessed with a mother (Jean Trainor) who presumed his competence and fought for his inclusion in the regular school system. Nate defines “presuming competence” as meaning “to include others and be confident in their abilities, even if they are not apparent to you.”

In NATE’S TRIUMPH, Nate explains that by age six, he felt treated like an animal. Like he was in prison. Talked down to or talked about as if he wasn’t present. Imagine the frustration. The anger. The desperate longing to communicate. And Nate is an extrovert! Thankfully his mother never gave up and he encountered educators who believed he deserved a chance and were even excited to figure out how to teach him. And learn he did.

Nate was the pioneer in his district school, paving the way for other children with disabilities to be included. All children should have the opportunity to attend their local school. Nate wrote, “If you want us [people with disabilities] included in the community as adults, you’ve got to start by including us in school” and “able-bodied kids need the experience of interacting with people that are different than them. This helps them build empathy and also prepares them for what they will experience in the real world. If we want a kinder and more inclusive society, we’ve got to start modeling it early.”

It takes Nate a long time to type with going key by key, needing his assistant to pull his arm back before he can choose and press the next key. But facilitated communication was an incredible, life-changing breakthrough, freeing him from the wordless prison, allowing him to finally express himself in his own words. In his book, Nate shares his vision for advocating for others with disabilities, especially those who are still in their prison, yearning to connect and communicate. To see Nate in action, you can watch the TEDx talk he did with Jean Trainor called Presume Competence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qMdN...

NATE’S TRIUMPH is an eye-opening, powerful, and hope-filled account of Nate’s life so far, showcasing inclusion in action and the true gift of language. As he expressed in his preface, I too hope that readers of his book will “help create a more inclusive world full of possibilities.”

Highly recommended

[Diane Dresback · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received Nate’s Triumph as a gift and what a truly beautiful gift it turned out to be. The story Nate Trainor tells is an excellent, well written account of his personal struggles with a severely debilitating disease call Joubert syndrome. Many physical challenges and an inability to verbally communicate garnered him a diagnosis label early on that could have restricted his life forever. But Nate’s mom would not stop advocating for her son to receive the same opportunity for an education as other children. What an inspiring story and one that encourages all of us to treat others with kindness and to always choose an assumed belief of competence.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

So honored to know this family and that Nate was able to share this story to help other families that could use this support and long-term planning. Amazing journey!