I am fairly certain that most of us will never come close to understanding what it would be like to be locked away in silence and then be given a way out. All the children and adults who share this experience almost always say the same thing.  They are incredibly grateful and they want to help others with autism find their voice. Its remarkable and humbling and frankly I can’t get my heart or head around it most days so writing about it is difficult.  So for this Thanksgiving I will share the letter James wrote to us, his family.  I am going to repost the very first family message he wrote us which was last year on Thanksgiving. It was an acrostic and it was the first deep expression of his emotions.  For those of  you doing RPM with your children, note the change in complexity after one year.

THANKSGIVING 2013

Time for family

Have group fun time

Around the table

Nice plates with food

Know I am loved

So very much

Great laughter sounds until bedtime

I love nights like this one

Very tender treasured moments

I understand how speaking matters to you

Nothing else makes you so unworried about me

Grateful I can talk to you now

Thanksgiving 2014

Dear Family, we are gathered here to share our thankfulness and celebrate our blessings. We eat in this beautiful new kitchen surrounded by the people who made it possible. I have never loved my family more than this month. I have been able to talk to Jane, express my inner thoughts more freely, gain more control and make real friends. My family gave me the strength and opportunity to find myself and everyday I am thankful. I want to change the perception of autism, even one person at a time. I can do this because of you. I have done more this past year than I could have imagined. Meredith married Jack, Joe and Heather are engaged, Jane and I started writing a book, we travelled to Guatemala, and I attend real classes. I cannot thank God enough for these blessings on our family. I love you all, James.