Thank you for giving me this opportunity to talk to you about my book. I am honored that you would recognize me for my writing. Under the Silence is Me, How It Feels to Be Nonverbal is a collection of many of my poems and stories I have written over the years since I was seven. I have recently been putting some of my poems into paintings like the one up here called The Waterfall. Professional photos of this painting and others are also in my book which can be purchased from my online Etsy store. I'm also am hoping to put my book on amazon in the near future.
This really means a lot to me that you recognize that people who are nonverbal can be intelligent. Most of the time we get treated as if we are ignorant. Just because we cannot speak or cannot speak well, it doesn't mean we don't think or have intelligent ideas. My hope for my book is that it will help those who are nonverbal to realize that they are important to God, and that people will treat those individuals with respect.
Can you imagine how you would feel if you suddenly lost the ability to communicate? Having a voice is critical to our well being. Do not think this couldn't happen to you. Any of us could have a car wreck tonight and lose our ability to speak, or move. All of us need to reach out to those born with disabilities and to those who have acquired them, like our soldiers and the elderly. Do what you can to give nonverbal people choices whether you use low tech paper boards or high tech iPads. By giving them a voice, you have given them joy and hope.
Thank you very much