Episode 167: How Persistence Gave Voice to the Silent, with Judy Chinitz

If I don't ask, I have a zero percent chance of getting what I want or need. I had to keep trying. Through persistence you can solve problems. ~ Judy Chinitz Have you ever tried to get a point across to someone but couldn't find the right words? Most of us occasionally struggle to find the right words to communicate our thoughts. But what if you couldn't communicate at all? What if you were trapped in a body incapable of speaking or sharing your thoughts? Worse, what if everyone around you believed you were profoundly mentally handicapped and incapable of even having intelligent thoughts let alone sharing them? Judy Chintiz spent 25 years of her son's life thinking exactly that, only to find after empowering her son with a unique method of communication that Alex had an even higher IQ than normal and was really very intelligent–he just couldn't tell her. Judy's remarkable journey with her son, Alex, reminds us that persistence is key to any success, even if it seems a situation is hopeless. Despite frustration after frustration, Judy refused to give up, ultimately finding the tool to give Alex a voice and freeing him to express his thoughts. (Alex is enrolled in a college program this fall!) Now a founder of the Mouth to Hand Learning Center, Judy has brought the voices of the silent to the world through her work and through her book, Spellbound: The Voices of the Silent, which features the work of those previously unable to communicate. Here at Brilliantly Resilient, we know the power of persistence. When you believe with all your heart and you do the work, you will find answers. They may not always be the exact answers you want, and the path may be different than what you choose, but the journey will be fruitful.  Tune in to hear more about Judy and Alex and be sure to listen for these additional bits of brilliance! After my son was diagnosed with autism, my life was set. That was my path. I asked him "How did you bear it?" (Being unable to communicate.) He said, "I always believed that one day you would figure out that I was smart. The more you "prove" that someone can't meet the goals, the more the diagnosis is confirmed. But we're focusing on what they can't do. The things they can do are not explored. The 72 hour rules–I can feel as sorry for myself as I want for 72 hours. But after 72 hours, you're done. You have to allow people to feel what they feel. But feeling sorry for yourself doesn't accomplish anything. Let's be Brilliantly Resilient together! XO, Kristin & Mary Fran