Yi's Voice

I am beyond joy to know that someone will want to be friends with me. I can’t believe it is happening. I am so so happy. Nothing brings me more joy than this.

Dear Alfonso, I am reading your book. It is very powerful. I am emotional reading your book. Thank you for offering to be my friend. I am very grateful to have you to be my penpal. 

I  want to say that I am very happy to know the friends in New York. I was very worried before they came. I thought that they might be mean. I really like to spend time with them. It makes me feel so loved. I am so happy. I want to go visit them in New York. I like to be their friend. I am very happy. I want to go to New York in 2023. 

I  am so happy today that I can talk to Shayna. It is wonderful to be able to talk to her. I know she cares about me. I love her. I like that she is supportive of RPM. She is open minded. She is passionate to help me. I feel so loved.

I am so sad that I can’t talk. I want to make friends. I really want to. It is so much harder when I can’t talk. It is driving me crazy. It is really tough. I don’t know why I care so much. I really want to be a friend of someone, someone who loves me, and respects me. 

I am so happy that I am at OMS. I can make so many friends. I am smart and they know it. I am so happy that I can communicate. It makes such a big difference. I know I can go to college. 

I am very sad that I don’t have friends that love me as who I am. I am very sad. I am so sad. I want to have friends. I want to be like Harry Potter. He has Ron and Hermani (Hermione). I don’t. I don’t. I am so sad. I want to be loved. I want to have friends. I want friendship. I need it. I need it. I wish I could play with other kids. But I can’t. I don’t know how. I don’t know. I am so sad. I am so so sad. I wish I knew. I wish I could. I wish I am Lang. I wish I am Timmy. I wish I can play with others. I know I can… 

I went hiking with A and C this morning. It is the first time that I got a play date. I am so excited. I can’t believe it. I want to do it again. I want to make friends. 

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 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. 

[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...

Today I went to a new summer camp. It is very fun. I like the game of go fish. I was talking with a boy. It is very nice to play with another kid. Ryan was there to help me communicate with others. It was really cool. It has been wonderful to make friends! I am having such a great time! This is going to be the best summer ever. I really like to make friends.

Hi Alfonso, Am I your friend? I started spelling in March. I am nine years old. I like to read. I like to do math.  Am I your little friend? You are the first person that writes to me. I am very happy! Thank you so much! Tell me more about you. I want to know more. Am I your friend? I really want to know.

I am sad that I don’t have my friends. It’s very difficult to have friends as someone with autism. Unlike other kids, I don’t know how to make friends. This makes me sad.  I wish I could have friends who would spend time with me, a friend who would laugh with me, and a friend who would love me. I wish the world would embrace me as who I am. I wish people would accept autism.