WE FORGET TO LISTEN

Being able to communicate with others is one of the best life skills a person can develop. A person who can effectively communicate thoughts, ideas, and feelings is better equipped for success.
− Imagine you are trapped in a box and you are unable to communicate with anyone. Many children with autism live with that sensation all their lives. They see, they hear, they feel, but are never heard. Their loved ones constantly live with the frustration of interpreting movements, sounds, moods or the look in their eyes. The agony is in trying to communicate and understand.
Camille, a beautiful girl, a beautiful girl with autism, has been working very hard to communicate with the world. Camille and her family refused to give up on her.  Together they constantly aspire to improve her ability to connect with the world.
In the past few months they finally had a breakthrough! They managed to open a gate into Camille’s’ mind. Camille was able to express her thoughts to everyone. She can finally step out of the box of silence!
RPM, The Rapid Prompting Method, is a technique that allows Autistic kids to spell their thoughts out on a screen. With this tool, Camille is able to express herself and show the world how empathetic and intelligent she is.
Now she has the ability to express her thoughts, desires, and frustration. I want, I feel, I like, I am not happy, I understand… 
Camille’s voice has been empowered by having a voice. And what a great voice she has… 

• “Anything is possible”
  
• “Sometimes we forget the importance of trying new things”
  
• “Quiet is fun and also peaceful”
  
• “Wish and dream until your dreams come true”
• “Always have something to aim for”
  
• “Home is your plate on the table of life”
  
• “A happy Camille is a happy family”
  
• "What someone thinks is only the truth if you let it be"

                                                                               Camille Galli
Bravo Camille!
− Unlike Camille, many of us have the ability to speak but not necessarily we do have the ability to communicate. Communication is to effectively convey or share ideas and feelings; it is about expressing and listening.
At home, I see the frustration of my children trying to communicate with us.  Just putting their thoughts into words sometimes can be very challenging.  Often as parents, we tend to just listen to the words and make a quick interpretation or judgment without really comprehending. Those are the times that I wish that my kids had some type of software that could help them to clearly express their ideas, and could help us as parents to open our minds and understand.
We should all see Camille and her family’s sweet success as a lesson, as a lesson of purpose. They taught us that if we are determined we can all improve our skills on voicing, listening and understanding.
Thank you Camille for reminding us of an important skill that sometimes we take for granted.

"Successful communication is much more than being able to talk; it's the ability to voice, to listen and to understand" - Mauricio Fraga-Rosenfeld

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