I am overjoyed that I have my voice. That I can tell you what I want for breakfast. That I can share my knowledge and opinions. That I can make plans and bring fun to others. That I can tell those close to me that I love them.

I was not always this lucky.

For 25 years I could not communicate any of these things. I have never been able to speak to communicate. I tried really hard but was never successful in doing so despite many years of speech therapy. I also tried a primitive PECS system a long time ago, like when I was about 7 years old. I loved flipping the laminated cards and was able to make a few sentences 4 or 5 words long. My Dad worked with me on our first computer when I was about 8 years old. Learning to keyboard was really…