Yi's Voice

7/17/2022 I am very sorry that Lang got COVID. At the moment, I feel ok. I am sorry that Natalie cannot come. 7/19/2022 Lang got COVID from summer camp. He is quarantine at home. I can’t go to summer camp. It is very annoying. Mom and dad had to take time off from work to look after me. This is very stressful for them. I know it is not what they want. I feel sorry that Natalie cannot come. This is not fun. 7/26/2022 I am very happy that Lang is no longer sick with COVID. I am happy that I can play with him. I like to hug him. He smells good. He is my superhero. 

Timmy is my neighbor. He is nine years old. He is very kind. I like to have him at my house. At the moment, he is in Austria. I miss him. I like him a lot. He is very smart and kind. Ruby is Timmy’s mom. She is very kind. I like seeing her. So is Hannes, Timmy’s dad. I am happy that they are my neighbors. 

I like parties. I like to hang out with friends. Friends are very important to me. Even when I am not playing with them, I enjoy having them around. I have people say they don’t like me. That really hurts.

I love my dad. He is rad. It has been amazing to spend time with him. Today is my first time to spend time with him alone. I am so happy! I am like a bird, flying in the sky. I am like a fish, swimming in the sea. I am like a flower, smiling in the Sun.

I used to have lots of tantrums.  It is because I couldn’t communicate. It was very frustrating.  I couldn’t talk,  I couldn’t use sign language, I couldn’t use AAC.  I felt trapped, I felt pain, I felt frustrated. I hit myself, I hit my family, I hit my friends. After I use RPM, I am able to communicate. I am able to talk using the letterboard.  I am free from the prison of silence.  I am free to express myself. Few people in the world understand what it is like to not have a voice.  It is the most painful experience I have ever had. I am happy that I can talk now.  I want to help others. Everyone deserves to communicate!

Today we went to Russian River. We had a great time. I really like floating in the tube. It was lots of fun. I smelled something weird. It is weeds. I know it. People like this kind of stuff.  It is really nice to spend time with my family. I am very lucky to have such a loving family. I am so lucky to be alive with my mom, my dad, and Lang.  I love you mom. I love you dad. I love you Lang.  Mom is my rock. Dad is my lighthouse. Lang is my captain. I am the happiest when I am with them. I can conquer anything with their love. I can fly over the moon. I can sing, I can dance, I can talk!

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a book about a little boy name Charlie. His family is very poor. He loves chocolate. He won a golden ticket to go to the chocolate factory. There are five children together. He is the only one that passed the test. Mr Wonka wants him to look after the factory.

[Note from mom: Lang is away for overnight summer camp this week] 7/10/2022 Dear Lang,  I miss you. You are the best brother in the world. I am so sad that you are not home. It is so different without you around. I really miss you because you are my best buddy. I love you. I really want to see you. I love you. I really want to be with you.  7/11/2022 Dear Lang, This is the second day you are not home. I still miss you. You are like the star to me. I am lost without you. 7/14/2022 Lang is coming back tomorrow. I am very excited. It has been so long. I miss him so much.  He is like the star in the sky. He is like the Sun. He is my lighthouse. He is my beacon.  7/15 Hi Lang, I’m so glad that you are home.

I am at a summer camp. It is very fun. I like it. It has many activities. For example, I like the game of scavenger hunt today very much. It is lots of fun. I like to spend time with Ryan and Nabil. They helped me make friends. I was able to talk to other kids. That made me happy. 

I like science. It is an amazing tool to help us understand how the world works. For example, Newton’s theory about gravity explains how things work. It pulls objects towards each other. I really think that one day I will be able to create something that impacts people’s lives.

Magic Tree House is a series of books about Jack and Annie going to adventures. They are same age as me. I like them very much. Jack is a boy who likes to read. Annie is his sister. They went on many trips together. Sometimes they went back to history, like Ancient Rome. Sometimes they went to nature, like the rainforest. Jack is very smart. Annie is very brave. They helped each other on their journies. I think it is very amazing to be like them. 

I  can hear sounds that are far away. It is very difficult for me to focus. For example, I can hear Timmy laughing in his house right now. It is physically disturbing. I can hear Dad breathing in the living room. It is very annoying. I like to go to the beach because it helps me stay calm. I don’t like to go to public bathrooms because it is very loud, the sound of people, the flushing, and the hand dryer.

I am very happy. It is nice to meet Natalie again. She is very fun. I had a great time with her. She worked on the four grader book with me. She did well. I did well with her. That made me feel great. 

I am very happy. I feel like people are starting to believe me. I am seeing more and more people understanding who I am. I am very proud of myself. It is wonderful to know that I am smart. It makes me feel confident. I am confident that I can go to college. I am confident that I can change the world. Q: What has changed? What makes you feel confident now? A: I am definitely smart because I can work on four graders’ curriculum. [note: Yi will be in fourth grade in August. We worked on a 4th grade curriculum earlier today and he did really well.]

I want to go to college. It is my biggest dream. At the moment, I don’t know if it is possible. I am not learning anything. In the summer I am not learning much. That makes me feel nervous. I want to catch up. Mom, please help me learn.

[Below are writings initiated by Yi, before, during, and after we spent two days with mom’s friend from college, Vivian, and her son, Terrell.] 6/30, Thu Tomorrow I will meet a new friend. I am a little bit nervous. I am afraid that I will make s mess. I like to be with my family only. I don’t know if they will be mean. They might be very strict. I will be my best. I will try to learn how to make new friends. 7/1, Fri [in the morning] I am very nervous.  [End of day] I had a nice day today. It was lots of fun. It was the first time that I hung out with my friends. We had lots of fun. It is wonderful to have people who accept me as who I am. I feel amazing that I can just be myself. I want to spend more time with them.  7/2 [in the morning] I had early dreams. In my dreams, I was having a great time. I was talking to my friends. I am very happy. I am flying.  [in the evening] Today I had another great day. It was great to spend time with my friends. I am very hap...