“IF SOMEONE SAYS YOU CAN’T DO SOMETHING, SAY, ‘YES I CAN, BECAUSE I’M DOING IT RIGHT NOW!’ ”
DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS

IT’S INTERESTING HOW I CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH PEOPLE JUST BY THEM TALKING, & ME NODDING. HOWEVER, I CAN’T EXPRESS HOW MUCH MY LEVEL OF COMMUNICATION IMPROVED WHEN I WENT FROM BLINK-SPELLING 2 FINGERSPELLING, THOUGH IT’S ACTUALLY THE MINORITY WHO CAN SIGN. IF THEY DON’T SIGN, BUT IF WE E-MAIL, QUITE OFTEN, THOSE WHO DON’T SIGN ARE ABLE 2 GUESS MY NON-VERBALIZED THOUGHTS. MY LEVEL OF COMMUNICATION AGAIN INCREASED WHEN, A WHILE AGO, MY HANDWRITING BECAME FAR MORE LEGIBLE, THROUGH PRACTICE & BY DEVELOPING MY FINE MOTOR SKILLS. IT HAS HELPED ME SEEM MORE APPROACHABLE, IF I KEEP MY BOOGIE BOARD (FROM BROOKSTONE) VISIBLE.

NOW, MY LEVEL OF COMMUNICATION CONTINUES 2 INCREASE. I HAVE BEEN TRYING 2 SAY MANY THINGS AT HOME, B4 I SIGN, NOD, ETC. (THOUGH SOMETIMES THE VERBAL RESPONSE TIME IS SO SLOW, THAT IT COMES AFTER I SIGN OR NOD (THAT’S ALWAYS INTERESTING!)

MY MUSIC THERAPIST IS NUMBERED AMONG THOSE WHO DON’T SIGN. SHE WAS FINE W/ME NOT TALKING, BUT ME BEING ABLE 2 WRITE HAS HELPED INCREASE MY PROGRESS IN THERAPY. MONDAY, THOUGH, WE WERE ABLE 2 HAVE A VERBAL CONVERSATION WITH HER STILL DOING MOST THE TALKING BUT I WAS ABLE 2 SAY “HI,” “I’M GOOD,” ”ELEVEN,” “NEW YORK”, “NO WAY,” & A FEW OTHER SINGLE WORDS.IT’S ALWAYS EXCITING WHEN A NON-FAMILY MEMBER UNDERSTANDS ME, THOUGH THEY TEND 2 BE AT MY HOUSE (I’M GETTING BETTER AT MY PARENTS’ HOUSE & SOMETIMES AT CHURCH, BECUZ I’M THERE A LOT) BUT RARELY DOES A SENTENCE COME OUT WELL ENOUGH, SINCE I CAN’T SAY MUCH WITHOUT SLURRING, & I ONLY CAN SAY ABOUT ½ OF THE CONSONANTS.. (I CAN SAY ALL VOWELS, & THE FOLLOWING CONSONANTS: B, D, L, M, N, V, W, & SOMETIMES C, K, G, P, R—USUALLY, I NEED 2 LAY DOWNTO DO SOME OF THESE! LOL)

SO, IMAGINE MY SURPRISE WHEN I POINTED & SAID, “THE MIRROR IS OVER THERE”, & SHE UNDERSTOOD (GOOD THING 2, BECUZ IF I GET A, “HUH?” & TRY 2 REPEAT IT, IT IS NEVER AS CLEAR AS THE SPONTANEOUS RESPONSE)!