Yi's Voice

[Presentation for a webnia r, From a Non speaking Child's Perspective: What I want Parents to Know, for a group of parents in the UK with kids with autism.] I am a 13-year old boy with autism. I can’t talk to communicate and I need help with my daily hygiene. It is not easy for me to share my thoughts and feelings with others. I type with my index finger. It is slow and takes lots of effort but it allows me to express myself and learn my academics. I want to share my experiences and hope it can help you better understand your child with non speaking autism. It can be a very lonely journey to be non speaking.  I was not able to communicate until I was nine years old. Before that I was thought to have intellectual disability because my stupid body just couldn’t do the right things. I had no way to share my thoughts or feelings. I was so lonely in my prison of silence. I was so sad, so frustrated, so helpless. It took lots of work to practice typing but it’s really important to do th...

I was a panelist for the re-inspire 2026 conference. I wrote a story about my hiking journey. I was too nervous to even start writing my story. I was very excited when we put the story with the pictures in a video. It turned out looking great. I was so proud. I decided to go on the stage although mom didn’t think I would be able to do it. Then on the day of the conference, I went on the stage and I saw Elizabeth Bonker sitting at the first row and looking at me and my video. I think she likes my story. I was so proud. I got emotional and left the room. My heart was so full! It was like my dream came true: me on the stage and Elizabeth watching me doing it. I still can’t believe I actually did it for real. I am incredibly proud of myself. I am invincible, I am incredible, I am beautiful, I am a champion. I am a champion! 

I am going through a really big shift inside and it’s been amazing! I feel like a brand new person, someone so confident and always optimistic no matter what happens. I am so amazed at this new me. I think the conference is the reason I changed. I am finally seeing my unique talents and I am so proud of myself. I am finally accepting who I am, exactly the way I am. I am me! I am beautiful. I am strong. I am talented in art, poetry and music. 

Triumph Yi Chen, age 13, 2026 Acrylic on Canvas, 24x18 in Triumph Yi Chen I am a survivor I am a fighter I am a phoenix I am winning this battle I am thriving I am growing I am a champion I limped I crawled I cried I am here standing high and tall I am here dancing with all my might I am here  laughing and on top of a hill I am here

Dear city councils, I am a 13-year old boy with special needs. I am writing to let you know how difficult it is for me to go swimming at the riconada community pool. There is no easy way for me to go in with my female caregiver because I am a boy who needs support changing. The gender specific changing rooms make it impossible for people like me who need support. Please build a family changing room so that people like me can enjoy the pool. Yi

I am a great hiker. But I was not able to do that when I was younger. It took years of me working really hard to get there. Sometimes, there were tears and screaming involved. It was hard for me, especially if there were people nearby. They made me nervous. I was able to control my anxiety by looking at my shoes or a tree, around essentially things that help me to ignore other people.  I started to hike when I was six years old in our neighborhood. It was hard since there were people around often. It made me embarrassed because I was not able to walk a block at the age of six. I kept at it because I really wanted to hike with my family. I was determined to hike as much as I could. The process took months and months of daily practice. It took a lot of hard work from me and the people who supported me during the process. But I am so glad that we didn’t give up.  It was really hard but then hard work paid off. I was able to go to many beautiful places, such as Bryce National Park...

Find one news story and one opinion piece on the same topic. What's different about how they're written? The analysis, A Cease-Fire for Now in Iran, but a blow to American Credibility , provides an interesting comparison between the Britain and Suez war and US at the Hormuz strait. It is based on historical references and provides a prediction of what the future might be. The news, 36 Hours of Chaos: The Scramble for a Cease-Fire in Iran , on the other hand, provides an accurate timeline of what happened event by event. They are interesting articles that provide different perspectives about the cease fire event in Iran. The news is based on facts and what’s happening now while the analysis is based on historical references and what might happen in the future. 

My Heart in Pain Yi Chen, age 13, 2026 Acrylic on Canvas, 18x24 in My heart in pain I am a 13-year old boy with autism. I can't talk but I love art. It's my first ever art lesson and I have been enjoying the process. I tried to express my complex and strong emotions. They're raw and sensitive, like my heart.  I was in an art critique this afternoon. It was my first art class and first art piece reviewed by professional artists on zoom. My work was so well done that it got lots of compliments from the artists and other students. I was so so excited and happy and proud of myself. I am an artist and I finally found my way to express myself in a way that’s beautiful and powerful!