I received a beautiful e-mail from one of our members recently and she said I could post this excerpt here:
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​Dear Portia-
​Just yesterday I had a quiet moment with my son Dominic, age 9, in the living room on his favorite couch. He was sprawled across my lap and I was
​holding him so close and gazing at his beautiful eyes and incredible smile. I just started talking to him, very slowly with long but not too long pauses, and said... "Dominic, I want you to know something. I believe in you. I think you are so smart, so talented and such a nice boy. I know how hard things can be and that you get really frustrated but I am so proud of you and all your hard work. I love you so much." He was so quiet and listened so intently and then cracked a big smile and did one of his vocal stereotypies but a quiet one...a gentle, acknowledging one.
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​Dear Susan-
​Fortunately no one was at the breakfast table yet when I read your e-mail on my Blackberry this morning because some big tears were rolling down my face. What a letter! When I went to click out of your message on my Blackberry, the menu popped up with “help” and “enable” --- how I wished that if I clicked on “help”, help would be on its way to you! And if I clicked on “enable” your lovely son would become enabled to communicate! If only it was that simple! But seriously, help is on the way and your son will become enabled to communicate better. This community is here to help and enable all it's members.
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​With all my best wishes to you and your son, -Portia
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