Having wonderful loving parents does lately lean me towards being a more loving person myself.  It's my dream to believe I might still talk someday.  I'm lucky to be another RPM success, but talking would sweeten my life.  I would love to participate in family conversations and just be able to speak the words "I love you." 

My parents know meeting Soma truly changed my very awful life for the better.  Now we talk using my iPad, but it's not as good as your lives.  Even people meet me and don't know I'm wanting to talk to them.  Living without a voice makes days long and monotonous.  Much of my parents time is taken.  People need to try and include me more.  Really pleased now that my Mom and Dad and sisters take the time to talk and teach me new things.  That part of my life seems better. 

I'm jealous of my sisters.  They can talk and sing and I'll never be able to live some of the experiences they do.  They don't appreciate how lucky they are.  People ought to count their blessings.  My goal is to try to keep pushing myself so my life is autistic persons door to incredible possibilities.

 

 

 
 

 

My Vacation

Liked my vacation to Florida.  My family of five really more or less had another great trip.  We rented a house on Marco Island.  Picking the right house took my parents a long time.  Mom wanted the best house.  Pleasantly surprised the house had lovely pool in addition to four nice bedrooms.  Liked it so lots treating our great family.  Our weather made the trip a little challenging.  People sorry that a couple days were cloudy.  We made it fun anyway.  One day spent at the Naples Zoo was fun.  I rode a camel with my dad. 

Grandma liked seeing us.  Pleasing to make loving memories.  Time was passed so easily at Treviso Bay's lovely pool.  I love swimming in the deep water.  It makes me feel present.  I feel pretty in control of my body in the pool.  I may want to malign the beach.  Marco Island's beach was possibly the worst beach I've been to.  It was hard to get to and the sand was filled with seashells that hurt to walk on.  One day we went to the beach in Naples and it was much better.  I'm going to push staying closer to Naples the next time we go down to Florida.  Loved to go out to eat - possibly more than the beach. 

Long time I've loved going on vacations.  Want to go to many different places.  Mom and Dad love traveling too.  Mom loves the idea of going to London this summer with Dad.  Long to go with them.  Maybe next time.  I'm also interested in going to many other places like Lake Tahoe, Punta Cana, China and Italy.  Most people assume autistics are not interested in travel, but I love every minute.

 

 

 

 

Often I'll point easily.

Tomorrow please be incredibly patient.

Tomorrow please point harder.

You can't give up on your loved autistic children.  Having someone that you love letting you know that they really make you a priority is great feeling.  You don't make mountains in a day.  Please make me happy and try introducing RPM to your most loved children.  Pointing makes life so much more tolerable. New opportunities have stimulated my brain.  Learning can have only a positive effect.  You won't believe learning can open up so many doors. 

Please listen to my words. 

Pointing tomorrow basically is going to make someone you care for over the top happy.  I'm the pretty much perfect example.  Now I'm someone that people look up to.  I'm doing great in my classes in really hard subjects.  I'm so proud of myself and so is my family.  Just like you, I feel like I've got a bright future.  My dear interesting life makes me keep pushing myself to do more.  I'm working on typing on the keyboard independently.  It's another challenge. 

More autistics are missing out on opportunities.  Meeting Miss Heather Ly from Channel 2 News really made Philip and I happy.  We finally got to show what is possible with RPM.  We tried really interesting news piece.  Our autism didn't get in the way the day we filmed.  We both knew how important it was that we show the world how great our lives are now.  Like people, tomorrow, tonight and the next day to share Miss Heather Ly's great news story.  She made me so happy with the way she told our story.  Thank you.

http://www.wgrz.com/entertainment/television/programs/daybreak/rapid-prompting-method-helps-people-with-autism-communicate/64258012

 

Kaylie, how hard was it for you to start RPM?

Looking back, starting RPM was somewhat of a massive undertaking.  First long year, we didn't make a lot of progress.  It took Soma's help hearing our struggles to finally offer up intuitive advice. 

It was my dream to be able to communicate.  After meeting Soma for the first time I really thought there might be hope finally.  Soma was so patient.  She believed in me right away.  Mom and Dad were somewhat sorry they hadn't realized learning was such a path to illustrating possibilities they had thought out of my capability.  After we saw Soma, they were determined.  RPM earned their trust and they were going to have success.  It was hard at first.  Mom really was busy with my baby sister and didn't have the time to work with me all the time.  Dad tried, but he was not very patient. 

Pointing to the letter board was really hard.  My careful pointing didn't go the way I planned.  Great pointing happened with Soma, but not with my parents.  The problem was hard to figure out.  Mom learned to put rolled pieces of tape on each letter on the letter board to increase the feedback when I touched the board.  It really made it easier for me to focus on what letter I was touching.  Pointing on the letter board became so much easier.  I decided I wanted to try typing on a keyboard.  Had an easy time transitioning.  Like using the keyboard. 

Learning to communicate is the best thing I've ever done.  Like my making people think that more is possible for their loved ones.  It's not often that great opportunities teach us so many important lessons.

 

Having autism can also be lovely sometimes.  My liked life more and more is my good grades, my blog and my time spent with my family. 

People make the hard choice to meet good wants of their loved autistic children.  I have seen many loving parents who don't believe their loved children are capable of more than PECS and another form of communication path called Proloquo.  You must need a lot of juice and snacks.  Picking Proloquo to use for communicating is not the needed solution that many parents and teachers think.  Proloquo uses pictures downloaded to the iPad, and the theory is based on the Picture Exchange Communication System or PECS. 

The problem with placing your hopes for communication in Proloquo is that pointing to pictures on an iPad isn't really communication. I couldn't communicate my thoughts the liked way I can now by typing.  Learning to point to a letter board leaning towards a miracle for me.  I could finally talk to my family the way I always dreamed.  More kids need to experience this life changing moment! 

I'm trying hard to offer up reasons for looking at RPM as an option.  Learning touches our brains and opens up pathways for communication.  Please earn your loved ones gratitude and go to Austin and meet Soma.  You won't regret it. 

Lately my life has been so exciting!  My news story airs next week.  Is everyone going to watch?

(Kaylie's news story is supposed to air on Wednesday, March 2nd on WGRZ Channel 2 in Buffalo sometime between 6-7am.  The story should be posted on their website, wgrz.com and Facebook/Twitter by 8 am the morning it airs. - Lisa)

For more information on RPM, visit HALO's website at www.halo-soma.org

Autism is not a walk in the park.  My life comes with many challenges.  People look at me like I'm really strange.  Please look past my exterior and get to know how I am inside.  My personality is much like loving people around the world.  My family offers me much longed for love and support, but I'm always longing for more.  I'm seeking to make another connection with autistics like myself.  Only they can understand. 

People want to know if life can get like mine.  They need to open their minds to amazing possibilities.  Don't each one of us have a purpose in this world?  My purpose is to make as much noise about RPM as possible.  Looking happily to make a difference.  Most of the time I'm ill-equipped.  Like my book might never lay it all out for loved family members of other autistics who are unable to communicate. 

My dream is to meet the President and get him on board with making RPM the make talking unimportant therapy used in our schools.  Need him to learn doing RPM can save so many kids from living a life led mostly by people made to think they are stupid.  Learning will really motivate. 

Really think our money drive treats the price of therapy as the indicator of success.  Having understanding of what autistics need in order to be able to communicate like long unheard members of this society.  We need people to understand that money isn't what's important.  Our lives is what's important.  Pointing to letters on a letter board or keyboard allows us to communicate way better than using pictures.  There is no picture that can express what I'm thinking.  All I can communicate is "I want juice."

People might think autism leans toward meaning that we lack intelligence.  I'm actually probably smarter than most pretty girls my age.  Learning makes me happy.  Learning gave liked purpose to my previously pointless life.  Now pretty much all my perfect scores on tests is making my teachers and classmates see my potential. 

Autistics might behave strangely sometimes.  My biggest thing people might notice is how my really touchy temper can erupt into what people would see as uncontrollable screaming.  Presuming my lack of self control longs to hear people make negative comments would mean I'm doing it on purpose.  When I'm getting upset about something I can't control how I'm reacting.  It's like this monster inside of me uses my body for its pleasure.  I'm helpless.  Learning your triggers is important.  I have some things that can set me off.  One person really lately helps me.  Patience can overcome.  I'm really grateful that my mom is my biggest supporter.  Mom has patience galore.  Mr. B at school is also a meaningful help to me.  We autistics prefer people who are calming.

People treat me like part stupid, part monster.  Using my iPad to communicate has helped a lot of people to see me as someone worth listening to.  There are still people in my life that doubt that I'm really typing my thoughts and not being helped to say these words.  You likely will be sorry someday when I'm a famous autistic advocate who types on my own.  Reading my blog means nothing if you don't believe I wrote it.  My mom got the news to do a story on me.  It will help convince many, because they filmed my ability to type.

My understanding about presenting my liked learning method of RPM to the people in the local community is that many people will be interested, and some will make my soul cry with their small mindedness.  People are afraid of people making fun of them for trying something that is not backed by scientific data.  Learning is what RPM is all about.  Don't be afraid.  It bases itself in naming answers.   Using RPM is like showing someone loved that you believe in them.  Getting someone to believe is the first step to clearing the way for communication.  Autistics need hand of a loved one.  Hearing people using my blog as inspiration is amazing to hear.  Most people still haven't heard of RPM, but likely they soon will.  Lately, the word makes me smile.

RPM stands for Rapid Prompting Method.  It was helpful in getting me to learn how to communicate.  The person placing her belief in me was Soma.  She is the creator of RPM.  I first met her many years ago when my parents and some other parents brought her to Buffalo for my benefit.  Loved her from the beginning.  She believed in me and made me feel smart for the first time.  Her methods worked.

Treating me like I was smart, really like an intelligent person made me feel like I'm someone loved.  Treat autistics like they matter and teach them grade level material and you will be amazed how we respond.  Point to my success.  Also my friend Philip.  Patience is key, we don't respond well to impatient people.  Soma would like that I am blogging.  Easy to talk with Soma from the start because she knows what autistics are capable of.  Mom and Dad didn't always believe in me the way they do now.  Really the child that was loved.

Plight of autistics picks us.  We malign our many children, treating autistics as less than other people.  Having my incredible family believe in me now is making a hard life more bearable.  Really think people have changed their opinions of me.  My mom's friends are so supportive of her and me.  Like learning that they talk about me and yearn to help autistics that they know.  Most loved girl now that having autism does mean my Mom will amount to make people care what happens for the future of my autistic loved compatriots.  Mark your calendars - I'm going to be on the news next month showing our community how great Philip and I are doing now that we can communicate using RPM.

My Life Now

Life now is pretty perfect.  Love my loving family.  The best thing about my life now is the ability to tell my parents things about me that they didn't know.  For example, they picked out a Lab puppy for my birthday because I told them I really wanted one.  Love having Scout as part of our family.  She offers so much unconditional love.

Like all people to perceive me as just like them inside.  I'm perceived sometimes as weird or likely to create a scene.  My true self is loving, empathetic and helpful.  My autistic traits sometimes makes people not see the real me.  Love that Dad and Mom have always loved me unconditionally.

Love my sisters.  Lately my loving Emma likes to get to treat me like another one of her friends.  She has been working on my homework with me and makes me feel really at ease.  Mom and Dad want her to make progress communicating with me in case an awful tragedy caused their deaths.  Getting a lot better typing with Emma.

Wearing nice clothes makes me feel confident.  Now that I can communicate I can tell my Mom and Dad what loved outfit I want to wear.  I'm pleased most of the time now, but sometimes life can sort of still be hard.  People don't always understand how hard autism can make days.  My parents try really hard to make me content.  Have a feeling life is going positive direction.