Note: this conversation took place a few weeks ago. The kids Coco mentions are Carly Fleischmann and Ido Kedar. We first learned about Carly about three years ago. We watched this clip together and Coco was mesmerized.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xMBzJleeOno

This 20/20 segment describes how Carly found her voice through typing. Her story was the first of its kind that I ever heard. Her book, Carly’s Voice, showed us that such a thing was possible. I searched for similar stories. That’s how I came across Ido’s book, Ido in Autismland. Ido is a brilliant boy who was a student of Soma Mukhopadhyay. He found his voice through RPM. Reading his descriptions of life with autism felt like learning about my daughter’s inner world for the first time.

Coco, what are you thankful for this year?

MY STENCILS

What do you want to say to Dad about him trying RPM with you?

SOMETIMES LOVE TAKES PATIENCE

Did you always know you’d find a way to communicate?

TWO OTHER KIDS DID IT

What other kids?

IDO AND CARLY

They both went to college. What do you think of that?

TERRIFIC

How does it feel to communicate?

IM LIVING LIFE TO THE FULLEST

What do you think of RPM?

IT CHANGED EVERYTHING