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#9 Giving Non-Verbal Kids a Voice | The Story Behind the Robert Norton Foundation

In this episode, Nicole Alicea sits down with Isabel Norton, founder of the Robert Norton Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to helping non-verbal autistic children communicate.

After her son Robert was diagnosed with autism, Isabel was told he needed an AAC communication device—costing between $4,000 and $7,000, with long waitlists and limited access.

Instead of waiting, she took matters into her own hands.

With the help of her partner, Isabel developed a simplified communication device. What started as a mission to help her own son quickly evolved into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit aimed at helping other families facing the same challenges.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The real challenges families face when raising non-verbal autistic children

• Why existing communication tools often fail the children who need them most

• How Isabel built a nonprofit from the ground up

• The step-by-step reality of launching a 501(c)(3)

• How purpose-driven ideas can evolve into scalable impact

This is a powerful conversation about motherhood, resilience, and building solutions when the system falls short.

To learn more or support the mission, visit:

www.givekidsavoice.org

Produced by David “Fingers” Bell and Nicole Valentin Alicea.

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