Inclusion in Action: Megan Craft’s Mission to Celebrate All Abilities and Communication
This December, we’re honored to spotlight Megan Craft, M.S., CCC-SLP—speech-language pathologist, children’s book author, and passionate advocate for inclusion. Megan draws on her extensive experience supporting children of all abilities to create stories that celebrate diversity, representation, and the many ways children learn and communicate. Through her Mission: Inclusion series, she introduces young readers to characters with a wide range of strengths and needs, fostering empathy, understanding, and true belonging.
Megan’s work highlights the importance of honoring every voice—spoken, gestural, and AAC—and creating spaces where all children feel valued, seen, and included. This month, she shares her insights on inclusive storytelling, the power of representation, and how SLPs can build communication environments where every child can connect, participate, and thrive.
What does “celebrating all voices” mean to you in your day-to-day work as an SLP and inclusion advocate?
“Celebrating all voices” means taking time to listen and understand what they are saying. As an SLP and inclusion advocate, listening and celebrating all voices is one of the most important aspects of both. We all have something to say; our words matter and celebrating the big and small wins for each of my patients is the best! The majority of the time, I am the first person to hear their first word whether it is verbally, through sign, or activating a button/switch on their AAC device. Our voices make us unique and must be celebrated to help move communication and growth forward in gaining one’s voice. Celebrating all voices also means you are taking the time to connect and include someone no matter how they are communicating. So celebrate and don’t stop!
What’s one thing you wish every educator or caregiver understood about supporting diverse learners and communicators?
What inspired you to become a children’s book author focusing on disability representation and inclusive storytelling?
My patients and families are the reason I became a children’s book author focusing on disability representation. Without them, I would not have had the conversations with them to hear their concerns and desires for their children. As a parent, all you want for your children is to be loved and accepted. To hear so many parents say that they do not see their children within children’s books broke my heart. After doing some research, they were all so right. I knew I had to do something to try and make a small change within children’s disability inclusive characters. That is how Mission: Inclusion became a series. All of my characters are based off of previous patients I have worked with. Each character holds a very special place in my heart.
Looking ahead, what do you hope the next generation of SLPs carries forward when it comes to inclusion, representation, and celebrating all voices?
What role does AAC play in helping children feel seen, heard, and included—both in your clinical practice and within the characters and moments you bring to life in your storytelling?
AAC is my favorite aspect of my field as an SLP. It shows others that no matter what you can be seen and heard. When you feel seen and heard, you then feel included. AAC is that for so many patients that I work with giving them their voice to be heard, communication to be seen and giving them ways to be included within conversations. AAC opens so many opportunities for so many people of all ages. One of the most magical moments as an SLP is trialing/modeling on an AAC device and then the patient tries. Watching their face light up means the world.
A moment you never forget and it is only the beginning for them. Showing others a character in my series with an AAC device shows children that use a device or peers that an AAC device is something others use to communicate. Seeing characters within a book using a device shows others to include their peers that utilized an AAC device. Storytelling allows for a safe place for children to connect with characters within a book. Kids connect with books and seeing disability inclusive characters helps them accept their peers in their daily lives. As an SLP and self published author, AAC is a very valuable tool! It should always be represented.
