 and welcome. I'm Catherine Hayes, ICFMR Program Analyst here in Hickford, Baltimore. We welcome you to our broadcast today interviewing people with developmental disabilities. We're going to have several parts to this presentation. First, of course, will be the presentation by the lady sitting next to me. Ruth, Psychowitz Mercer. Next will be a part on technology, the tools that assist you in understanding people who speak in a different way. And finally, we have put together a series of exercises for surveyors to assist them in preparing and getting more comfortable with this process. We don't expect people to become experts, but we do want to introduce you to an overview. Before I introduce Ruth, and we're very pleased to have her with us, we have a tape from the NBC show of Kathy Buckley, a comedian, who talks about Ruth. And Ruth asked us to share this with you as it makes a very good point about how to approach folks. And we appreciate Ruth bringing this to our attention. We're going to share this video with you. Past judgment? Oh, not war, death, huh? Is it not true we are past judgment? And nine times out of ten when you pass a judgment is a negative concept, correct? Well, I passed a judgment on a very lovely lady about six months ago. I was invited to Washington, DC to perform at the Kennedy Center for some kind of award presentation. When I got there, the stage manager asked me to go into the green room. And when I went in there, he said, you need to be quiet in this room because the noise from this room can travel onto the stage. Now, I myself have never seen noise travel. They say this stuff happens, I go along with it. I go into the green room. And in the green room is a woman in a wheelchair. She's a quieter polygic. My first judgment I passed upon was, my God, what kind of a life exists? She can't move, she can't talk, she can't walk, she has nothing to contribute to society. But me being who I am, I went up to her and I said, hi, how are you? She started to open her eyes. At first I was taken back. I said, hi, how are you? Her eyes started to open up really wide. When they got really wide, her assistant came by and she said, when she opened her eyes, it means yes. When she closes her eyes, it means no. I said, great, I spent my whole life learning how to read lips and I got to go to school for some eyelids over here. The woman in the wheelchair started to laugh. It was a horrendous sound. But to me it was the most beautiful sound they ever heard. I realized right then and there, I can communicate with her. Now what better person to tell all your jokes to than somebody who can't heckle you? So here you have me and Ruth in the middle of this green room and all you can hear is this, I'm going, come on Ruth, let's get some dancing shoes and let's get out of here. Days, man, just screaming, get the deathboard away from the quad. Ruth received an award. She wrote two top-selling books with a blink of an eye. Today she has computer eyes, it's a computer wood board where she has a wire attached to her eyelids. She sees the letters she wants to blink to eyes that goes into the computer. Two top-selling books. I haven't even read a book yet. I graduated from high school with a one point average. Nobody bothered to tell me we were collecting points. That night after the show, Ruth had a computer print out for me and I sat on it. Thank you so much for making me laugh, but more than anything else, thank you for treating me like you would have treated anyone else. I took that piece of paper I wrote on the back of it and I handed it to her. I said, there, that's my bill. Around the corner, thank you. Around the corner comes a gentleman in a wheelchair. He has cerebral palsy, he has no fun teeth, me being who I am, we're the heck of your teeth. The man starts to laugh. It's her husband. She's married, I couldn't believe it. I looked her straight in the eye and I said, you know what, Ruth? I came in here tonight and I thought to myself, my God, what kind of a life is this? Only because I didn't think I could live it if I was in your situation. Here you wrote two top-selling books. I can't read, you're married, I can't even get a date. I said, I hope you get pink eyes. The moral of the story is, please, don't pass judgment upon someone you wouldn't want passed upon yourselves. Because believe me when I tell you, there are no limits as to what you can possibly do with your lives. Have a good night and God bless, thank you so much. Again, thank you to Kathy Buckley and the NBC for letting us use that and especially to Ruth for bringing it to our attention. I can't think of a better way to introduce the lady who's going to speak to you now. Ruth Sinkowitz Mercer is from Massachusetts and as Kathy said, she's the author of a couple of books and this is one, I raise my eyes to say yes. She's prepared a special presentation for us, the ICFMR program surveyors today that we want to share with you. And when we get done, we will have time for some questions. We've had some facts in ahead of time and we encourage you, as Ruth is presenting, to also fax in any questions you have for Ruth. I need to tell you now that when Ruth is finished with the first hour, she will and the lady with her, Diane Carter, who's assisting her today, will need to leave to catch a plane. So if you have questions specifically for Ruth, please fax those in in the next part. All right, now I'm going to, it is my great pleasure. I've heard Ruth speak several times and I think you're really in for a treat. So I want to introduce Diane Carter who is assisting Ruth but especially Ruth Sinkowitz Mercer. Ruth? It's a pleasure to be here with you all day and to have this opportunity to speak with you. Those who know me know that I adore butterflies. Gifts I receive from friends and family usually represent butterflies in some way. You see, I think of the butterfly as the symbol of my life. I hope you will understand why by the end of my speech. Let me begin by sharing with you a brief history of my life. I was born without complications on September 23, 1950 in Northampton, Massachusetts. When I was five weeks old, I developed a very high fever. I was diagnosed with viral encephalitis and spent three weeks in the hospital for treatment. My recovery seemed complete, so I was sent home. My parents became concerned when, at the age of 13 months, I had not begun sitting up or talking. They took me to the Boston Floating Hospital where doctors determined that I had cerebral palsy, probably as a result of the high fever. At that time it seemed that with a lot of hard work and therapy, I would walk and talk normally someday. Mom and I worked together to make this dream a reality, but she began to develop a bad back. Finally, Mom could no longer take care of me. We had to find another way. The state school in Lakeville, Massachusetts had a good reputation for its work with children with developmental disabilities. My parents sent me there when I was five years old. They hoped I would receive the care I needed. A newly graduated psychologist at Lakeville performed, quote, intelligence tests, unquote, on me, despite the fact that he didn't know how to communicate with me. He determined that I was an unteachable imbecile. This diagnosis proved to be disastrous to me. It meant that I was not only denied admission to Lakeville, but that I would be overlooked later on. At any rate, because of his conclusions, I was promptly sent home to my family. My parents sent I didn't give up. A few months after my rejection from Lakeville, my parents sent I visited the ground at Crotchet Mountain in the summer of 1956. We immediately felt that this was the best place for me. Soon afterward, my application for admission was submitted and then accepted. I entered the Crotchet Mountain Rehabilitation Center in Greenfield, New Hampshire in October of that year, which, 1960, I spent for wonderful, happy years there. I was forced to leave when my financial resources dried up. Once again I was sent home to my family. I was bored at home and yearned for the stimulation I had received at Crotchet Mountain. The boredom proved to be too much, so I began to look around for another place for me. A couple of years after I left Crotchet Mountain, my parents visited the Belcher Town State School in Belcher Town, Massachusetts and reported to me that while it wasn't as good as Crotchet Mountain, they thought the state school would be alright. The staff there told my parents I would receive all the things I had at Crotchet Mountain. In May of 1962, at the age of 11, I began my 16-year jail term there. Many of those years were spent in virtual isolation. Even though there were many people around me, no one tried to communicate with me. I believe my isolation was in part caused by the diagnosis from Lakeville that said I was an unteachable imbecile and the diagnosis from Belcher Town that said this pathetic individual is functioning at a low-edit level with a poor prognosis. As long as the professional staff held this opinion, no one would bother to try to communicate with me. I searched with my eyes to find a way to reach someone. For 11 years no one noticed my efforts. I was trapped in a body that couldn't move. With a voice I could hear loud and clear, but no one else knew existed. Then one day an attendant named Wessie noticed that I laughed when she told a joke and that my facial expressions it meaning. Her simple observation proved to be a real turning point in my life because that was the day that people began to speak to me and to work with me on my communication skills. The increased human contact made my final five years at Belcher Town a little more bearable, although it still wasn't a picnic. My struggle for self-determination and independence began while I was at Belcher Town, wanting something to happen and believing that it actually can happen are often two different things. I, Rawiz, wanted to be free from Belcher Town. My desire to leave was fueled by the hellish conditions there. During the first three or four years of my stay, I had a hopeless feeling that I would never be able to live anywhere but in an institution. When I dreamed of release, my highest expectations were that I would go back to my parents' home. The idea of being independent never really occurred to me at that time. I had been treated as less than human for quite some time, and I guess that in some ways, that attitude had dropped off on me. I didn't have the expectations for myself that others my age held for themselves. I didn't believe that I would marry, have my own home, hold a job or manage my own affairs. Fortunately, I met people who influenced my attitude about myself and what I should expect, and who inspired me to believe that independence was not only a possibility, it was a necessity. My friend Wessie was the first of many people who helped me in this way. From the very first time she met me, she treated me like a person. Mealtime had often been an ordeal for me because attendance cried to shove food down my throat while I was lying flat on my back and crying. Not Wessie, she made sure I was in a comfortable position for eating, took time to feed me properly, and spoke to me conversationally. This humane approach was what allowed her to quote discover, unquote, my yes and no signals. Wessie also managed to find a chair bed for me. It was more comfortable to sit in a chair bed than in a hospital bed because of the adjustable back. Finding the chair bed took some extra effort, but more than anything it involved Wessie's desire to improve my living situation as much as possible. Changing the method of feeding me and finding the adjustable chair bed were relatively easy improvements, yet at that time they were like miracles for me. In less than a month, Wessie had dramatically improved my life and my feelings about myself. If the staff at Belcher Town took the time to listen and to learn from my family how to communicate with me it would have been better for everyone. I believe that communication is the starting point for self-determination. Without it there can be no understanding between people. Every person needs to communicate in order to establish his or her own ideas, desires and needs. The burden is on those around a person with a disability to discover how that person communicates and use that knowledge to make sure that effective communication actually takes place. Finally on June 30th, 1978, I was picked up along with several others by a van complete with a motorized wheelchair lift which was provided by Shelton's Incorporated, a private service provider and taken to my new home at Linton Towers in Springfield, Massachusetts away from the nightmares and scars of Belcher Town State School. That was one of the happiest days of my life as we drove away from the life of misery and pain to a life of freedoms, the freedoms of independent living. In 1980 I decided to marry a man who also has cerebral palsy. Marriage is always a risky venture but even more so when one's physical abilities are limited. My marriage like all marriages is sometimes difficult but it's been worth it. Norman and I have learned so much from one another. Then in 1985 Norman and I moved to the apartment where we now live in Northampton, Massachusetts. Now I would like to leave you through a little exercise to illustrate for you what it can be like to live without being able to speak. Imagine yourself where you are right now as you are except you can't move any of your limbs. Close your eyes and really imagine. Pretend that you can't speak. Now imagine that you have to go to the bathroom badly. How do you feel? What are you going to do? Chances are you will have to wet yourself before anyone understands what you need. In addition you will probably be called an imbecile because you had an accident. This is the type of situation I and many others like me have had to endure time and time again. This exercise should give you an idea of how difficult it is to live independently without complete reciprocal communication. How can someone help with even the most basic of needs without communication to let them know what those needs are? The way to establish concrete communication is to remember that it is reciprocal in nature. It is an exchange of ideas. When people close themselves off no information is taken in even when it is being presented to them. Openness really works in many situations. After you have asserted yourself be aware of and give space for the other person to assert him or herself. An example of the benefits of keeping communication open can be seen in the following incident. Several years ago I had to write a speech with an attendant who was frantic about the speech. When I prepare a paper with someone good one-to-one communication is essential. My attendant wasn't sure what to write about or how to write it. She didn't have a clue as how to get the ideas from me and onto paper or how much she had to contribute. When she finally calmed down enough to pick up my wordboards she found out that I had many thoughts and ideas. When you ask someone a question he or she will usually respond. But what happens if you don't understand the response? First of all, be patient. Then react using common sense, knowledge and most of all respect. Here is another story of how a lack of communication can hurt someone. One day I wanted to make tuna casserole for lunch. I told my attendant through the wordboards how to make it. I needed to tell her to run cold water over the noodles so they wouldn't stick together. The more slippery food is, the easier it is for me to eat. I would indicate the words run, macaroni and water but she just didn't get it. She did get frustrated and after a while looked like she was going to dump the noodles on my head. But in the end she understood and I was able to eat without choking on clumps of noodles. If she remained patient the whole time we could have avoided the frustration. Impatience is contagious and makes for difficult interaction. However, human nature being the way it is people sometimes get impatient. I can't really tell you what to do since every situation is different. Just do your best if you run into trouble take a deep breath and keep going. Along with communication, I believe people with disabilities need to work on self-esteem. Without these two things no one can work out their problems or destiny. I, like most people have to work on these things. They are always an ongoing struggle. Good communication has been central to my independence whether I'm expressing my wishes for long-range plans or carrying on day-to-day tasks. It means that I am able to function as a member of society, working, belonging to clubs and committees, and having friends. It means that I am able to function at home, choosing what to do and when to do it. Although paying the bills and balancing my checkbook are not my favorite activities, they are things that I now control. Perhaps I can best illustrate the importance of good communication by talking a little about what happens when communication is poor. One of my biggest problems over the years has been that I have had a number of attendants for whom English is not their native language. These people have been mostly gentle, sensitive caregivers, but the language barrier can be very frustrating. Recently, one person was preparing macaroni and cheese from a box for Norman's and my dinner. Norman tried to tell him several times to add milk to the macaroni, but the attendant did not even try to understand what my husband was saying. Finally, Norman gave up, and we ended up eating orange glob for dinner. Even if the attendant speaks English, communication can be difficult. I have a limited number of words available to me on my wordboards and computer. When I want to refer to something which is not on the boards, then I have to use my imagination in giving clues to get my message across. Here's an easy example of this process. I might give the words, man, white, and house. The attendant must then figure out how my three words relate to each other and will hopefully come up with the word, present. Many times, the relationship is not this obvious and can take a very long time for the attendant to come up with the word. It seems to be a matter of matching the attendant's imagination with my own. I also have to hope that the attendant has at least heard about whatever person, place, or thing I wish to discuss, or he or she may never get it. My lack of speech has always been the most difficult part of my disability because it has always interfered with my quality of life. Many people, whether or not they realize it, tend to equate speaking abilities with intelligence. They seem to assume that if someone cannot speak, it is because his or her mind is muddled, and that, since an individual is unable to talk, he or she must also be unable to hear, to understand and to feel. I wish I had a dollar for every time someone spoke to me slowly and loudly while I sat there wishing I could stand up and tell them that English is my native language and I have never had a hearing problem. The misconceptions of others can be both painful and dangerous to someone who cannot speak since it means that he or she will be treated in a subhuman manner. Whenever I lecture to people without disabilities, I tell them that, once they have established communication with someone with a disability, then they need to respect what that person has told them. Everyone has the right to make all kinds of choices, even bad choices. I say to them, think about your own life. You've probably made some bad choices, you would have been terribly offended if someone else told you that you couldn't do whatever it was you wanted to do. Perhaps today you choose to view your bad choices as learning experiences. Just because I use a wheelchair, does that mean that my life is supposed to be better than yours? Is my life supposed to be free of mistakes and learning experiences? That's not normal. It is important that people realize that it is practical as well as preferable to consult people with disabilities about decisions which affect their life. My husband Norman and I are routinely involved in interviewing and choosing which people are to be hired to staff our apartment. It only makes sense for us to give our input because we are the ones who will be spending time with the people who are hired. Besides freedom of choice, one of the most fundamental elements of a normal life is the freedom to enjoy a degree of privacy and respect for one's human dignity. Because neither Norman nor I can get ourselves out of the apartment in the event of an emergency, we will always have to live with other people coming and going through our home and our life. This fact means that we may never be able to enjoy absolute privacy. There are some other things, however, that make us feel like we live in a fishbowl and that we feel, can and should be kept as unobtrusive as possible. The funding source which pays for the personal care services we receive requires that three daily log notes be kept on the activities in our home. Most people can only imagine the humiliation of having the private details of their daily lives recorded in a log and worse yet, knowing that those entries may be read by any number of people, some of whom may be complete strangers. We have drawn up some guidelines for our staff to use which are designed to keep the most intimate details of our lives off the public record. Another procedure which makes our lives feel less than normal is that we must construct and adhere to an ISP or individual service plan which is then monitored by a service coordinator. My plans for the future are laid out on paper for all the world to see. It's better to feel that you're working because of your own motivation than because Big Brother is watching. Perhaps you can see now why it is that I choose the butterfly to simpleize my life. Belcher Town State School was like a big cocoon for me in some ways. While I was there, beginning to learn what I needed for independence, it was like I was growing wings which were pressing against the walls of the cocoon, trying to break free. When I moved to Springfield and began learning about life in the real world, it was like the young butterfly leaving the cocoon and stretching its wings a little awkwardly at first, but growing graceful with time and practice. Let me conclude by saying that for myself, I want to live my life in as normal an environment as possible. I want control over my life. I want to contribute. I want what every human being deserves, freedom, acceptance, opportunities, and respect for my humanity. Thank you for taking the time to listen to me. I hope you have found something helpful in my words, and I would like to take some time to answer questions. Once again, thank you. That was great. That was very good. Ruth, that was terrific, and I think that you said you wanted to make sure you had a chance to contribute. I hope that you know how much you're contributing to our field right now by sharing these thoughts and speaking to folks. As we mentioned, we had some questions faxed in ahead of time. There is a fax number that will appear on your screen. If you still have some questions, we have a few minutes to take them. However, we do have some questions we've already gotten. What we talked about doing, Ruth actually uses three different ways to communicate, at least. One, of course, you just heard. The other, as you can tell, is very expressive with her eyes and she has a way of letting you know what she wants. But to actually get the words, there's some board that she and Diane Carter will use. The three questions we got ahead of time, we've already given to Ruth, and she and Diane have already worked on the questions. Diane's going to walk through those as I pose the questions to Ruth and kind of explain to you how she got them and how she interpreted them and then how Ruth confirms the question. Then if we have time, we will take additional questions. Ruth, the first question is fairly straightforward. This is a new process for a lot of surveyors to be going out and talking to folks who don't communicate in a way they're used to. What specifically would you suggest to them as they start this process? This board. And what Diane is doing, she has four boards. Ruth will indicate to her where on the board she wants to choose the word. As she gets to the word Ruth once, Ruth will raise her eyes and indicate that she's in agreement. I would say patience. I would say patience. She pointed to the word I. Why don't you show it to the audience? She pointed to the word I. Here's what I would say. Patience is somewhere down here. I think it's paired with relax. So to just relax? Basically she just puts her eyes in one of these quadrants and we go up and down the rows and figure out kind of quickly what she's trying to express. So here she says I would say relax and be patient. Is that right? Ruth agrees with that. The next question is fairly straightforward, but I think it's important for folks to know that you put a lot of time and effort into preparing these presentations. So the question someone wanted to know is how long does it take you to put this presentation together that you've given us? This board? Board two. Board two. Here. Here. Okay. Minute and a half hour. Hour. Days. Weeks. Month. About one month. Is that right? So it took her about one month, she says, to do this particular speech. Is that right? She says you go through every sentence, picking out what you want, and then approving it before it goes into the computer? She's saying yes. That's a lot of effort. We appreciate that. Okay. Now the third question that I gave to Ruth was one she liked the most that have come in. And it's an excellent one. As folks, interviewers, surveyors, go out and start talking to people, sometimes they're going to need to rely on someone like Diane to assist them in understanding the person they're interviewing. There's a tendency sometimes to jump ahead or to not wait for the person to have the time to answer. What should a surveyor do if they find that, in the time that they're asking the question, that the person who's assisting Ruth or the individual they're interviewing is answering the question and not allowing that person to answer. What should they do? What should the surveyor do, Ruth? Another board. Board one. Okay. Light spotting. Little bit. Okay. Board one. This section. This one. Eye. Eye. He. He or she. He or she. Here. Here. Here. Okay. Okay. Look. Lose. Nail. Make. Say. Here. See. She. Should. Say. So far. That's good. Okay. Here. See. Should. Say. Another board. Two. Three. Four. Okay. Four. Here. See. Should. Say. Here. Okay. Here. Here. Here. Mind. Neat. Quiet. He or she. Should. Say. Be quiet. Be quiet. Okay. Is that it? More. Be quiet. Be quiet. And. Another. Another board. Board. One. Two. Three. This board. Four. One. One. One. One. One. One. One. One. One. One. Four. Board one. Okay. Okay. Sorry. Here. Okay. Here. Here. I passed it. Here. Okay. Time. Up. Here. Here. Okay. Fall. Fall. Fall. Fall. Fall. Fall. Fall. Fall. Fall. worried. Okay, fall down, drop, hurt. Oh, here. Okay. Like here, listen. Okay. So here she should say be quiet to that person. And here, another word here, this board. Yeah. Here. Here. Okay. Want to. Here she should be quiet and want to hear what the person has to say. Is that right? Okay. So here she should be quiet and hear what the person speaking or trying to communicate has to say. Right? Okay. So what Ruth is saying is that the surveyor should be comfortable stopping the third person and just kindly letting them know that they're really there to interview the person and that they appreciate their assistance, but they should let that person take the time to speak for themselves. Is that what you're saying? Yes. She's saying yes. Okay. Okay. And I think sometimes as surveyors, we need to be reminded that that is what we need to do. In addition, there's probably some other things we'd like to just take. We have a little bit of time left. One thing that Ruth brought up that I think is very important to keep in mind is we invade people's lives quite a bit. And sometimes we have to. There's questions as surveyors that we have to ask. Ruth, you mentioned that you've set some guidelines for your staff in terms of what you want them to share and not share. Any suggestions for surveyors on how to approach maybe sensitive issues or this is a difficult thing because sometimes we do have to ask personal topics. So any comments that you would have or suggestions on that? This board. Yes. Here. Here. He or she. He or she. Okay. Another board. Two. Three. Three. Okay. He or she. Here. Okay. Here. Here. Okay. Privacy. He or she should be concerned about privacy. Okay. He or she should be concerned about privacy. Something else you'd like to say? Another board. One. So the first message is that the surveyors should be sensitive and aware and concerned about that person's privacy that they're talking to. Here. Okay. Here. Ask. Should ask the person. Okay. This board still. Here. Another board. Two. Okay. Here. Okay. Here. Here. I passed it. Here. Okay. Here. Okay. Favor. Gift. Present. Health. Law. Order. Mind. You should ask what's on their mind. No? Or mind. Are you saying ask if they mind? Ask if they mind. Okay. So what Ruth has indicated is first be aware that we're being intrusive and be sensitive to that. And next, just ask up front. Do you mind if I'm going to, I need to ask you some questions. Do you mind? And the point we've made to surveyors several times is individuals have a right to either not answer a question or to not be interviewed at all if that's their choice. We certainly hope that folks will be because we think that's the best source of information about what's going on in a person's life. But again, keep in mind that an individual might say that they would rather not answer that particular part of a question. I see some questions are coming in, but before they hand that one to me, I have yet one more. Ruth, we've changed how we do surveys and we've strongly encouraged surveyors to get out and meet folks, observe a little bit, and then to talk to someone. Is there anything they need to keep in mind? It's kind of awkward. Everybody gets a little nervous when surveyors come into the place anyway, as we know. So is there anything that people should keep in mind? Surveyors should keep in mind when they first go out just to meet a person to kind of get a feel for the person. They're not going to be doing the interview at that point, but they're going to be entering someone's home. So are there things that they could keep in mind as they go into someone's home when she's saying yes, there are? Board two? Okay. Here. Here. Here. Another board. Okay. Board one. Board one. Here. Here. Here. Say hello. No. Say hello. Introduce themselves. I always tell people, just smile and say hello. Smile. Of course, I tell the staff in the home and the individuals that surveyors are people too. So smile back. Okay. This one I would like to introduce you to. Introduce yourself. Okay. So walk in. Say hello. Say hello. Let people know. I'd like to introduce you to. Okay. Be introduced or ask her. Corrigal stuff. Be polite. That kind of thing. Know that everyone's going to be nervous about them being there. That kind of stuff. Okay. Okay. Anything else? No? Okay. I know as a surveyor, sometimes I did want to see what people had in the rooms, but I would ask their permission or I'd ask that individual to show me. Would you show me where you live? Would you show me some of the things that you have so that I would get their permission and involve them in that process? Surveyors are trying to get a lot of information in a very short time. And we're encouraging them to be professional and polite, but also to cut to the chase, basically, in a short time. Anything again that they should specifically keep in mind? They're going to have a list of questions as they come in that they're going to sit down with, either on a clipboard or their own notes. Again, anything that they could keep in mind as they're talking to the person. Nope. Just what we've already said. Yeah. Be sensitive to the individual. Ruth, is there anything else that you want to emphasize now? No? Okay. Well, you have shared a lot with us. I do want to again point out that this is one book that Ruth has available. And it's called I raised my eyes to say yes. And it talks about her experiences. There's also an article in the materials that we have sent out to you. And there's an article that we sent out, the one about you and Steve Kaplan and the way you communicated and how you put together that book. It's fascinating reading and that's in the materials that we sent you. This book is also very good and it explains a lot about the butterfly. I didn't tell Ruth this before, but as I was walking up this morning, coming to work, we work in a fairly large building. I think you saw it at the opening credit. And this is a true story. A butterfly was flying in front of me the whole way as I walked. And I've never seen that before when I came here. So I thought that was pretty amazing. It put a nice smile on my face and got me a little calm down for today. Because I felt like the butterflies were here with us and keeping an eye on us. Anyway, Diane and Ruth are going to have to leave us. They're catching a plane back to Massachusetts. We did want to thank you so much for the time. We are going to broadcast this and continue with the part two after the break where we review technology. And we'll also go ahead and walk through some exercises a little bit later. We do more questions are coming in. I'm not sure how much time we have before break, but we'll see what we have. People are interested in what you have to say. And I have a feeling that a lot will come out of this. Just so that you know, we will be putting this together and sending it out. We hope you will make use of it. And we certainly hope that you'll get Ruth's story to as many people as we can get to listen to it. Any last minute thoughts, Ruth? No, I think the lights are kind of getting to Ruth a little bit too. We're ready to go to break. We thank Ruth and Diane so much. We'll take a 10 minute break. And when we come back, we'll share with you some the tools basically that can help you understand someone who doesn't speak in the way you're used to. Thank you. Welcome back. Now we're going to move to part two are the technology or tools that you can use to assist you in helping you to understand folks. I know that everyone enjoyed what Ruth had to say and she made a lot of good points. One of them is that we often use different ways to communicate different tools. What we've done for you today is to ask the Maryland Rehabilitation Commission, the technology program, TAP, technology assistive program and the staff there, Bruce Bailey and Susan Levy to put together a video along with our production staff here that reviews a whole series of different aids that you might run into when you're out interviewing folks, aids that help you in understanding how folks communicate. So the video is going to go over those and then we will come back. Again, I will review exercises in part three and answer any additional questions that we have time for that you fax in throughout the show. I did ask Ruth the questions that you sent in for her before she left. I'll share those with you and we will go to other questions. So now let's look at the technology.