My son, Andrew, is nonspeaking autistict (孤独症的) .
For many years, we have 1 a picture chart, which Andrew uses to communicate. The chart is banged up and 2 . It has been lost, found and rebuilt. Andrew also uses a text-to-voice app on an iPad that conveys his 3 . Though far from 4 it helps, these tools offer him the simplest, quickest way to communicate. Years ago, we 5 that Andrew could communicate more than just his basic needs through the use of a letter-board-by pointing to individual letters on a board to 6 words, statements, thoughts. It's a simple but profound tool. We have 7 the letter-board on the back of his picture chart. Using the letter-board requires significant time and 8 for Andrew, but we persevere.
One Saturday morning on his 15th birthday, we went to a shoe shop to get him a pair of sandals.
We 9 the trip, arriving right when the store opened. Andrew prefers to go shopping when it's not 10 . "Size 41, please," I told the two clerks at the shop. Andrew slipped his socked feet into the shoes with no 11 or head banging (signs of distress we have seen in the past) . A perfect 12 . Everything was nice. We 13 them up and paid, and I thanked the staff.
As we headed toward the 14 , I said, "It's Andrew's birthday today. Fifteen! Got our new shoes and now we're off to celebrate with family." "Happy birthday!" the sales assistants replied. "Have fun!"
Instead of having Andrew point to the "thank you" symbol on the picture chart, this time, I paused, and asked Andrew how he'd like to 15 . As I focused on the effort of using the letter-board, and the shop assistants were quiet, watching, Andrew pointed to each letter, one by one: "Thank you."
