Personal Statement "Daddy's home," says my nine-year-old cousin Justin at the sight of a truck in the driveway.

His father's truck? No. Alas, his father -- my uncle -- passed away more than a year ago.

Death is hard for any child to understand. How does one find the words to explain to an autistic boy that his father is not away on a business trip, but on a voyage from which the man will never return?

Even I had trouble grappling with my uncle's death, and to communicate my grief. I found comfort and solace in at least making the world more comprehensible and less frightening to my cousin Justin through the use of simple communication exercises the child could understand. Despite his autism, Justin, because of an early intervention program with a speech pathologist, has gained a fluency that is gratifying to see -- I may not be able to answer the question...

His confidence in himself has flourished as a result of such educational outreaches.
My experiences as a teacher and tutor with Justin confirmed my desire to enter the field of speech pathology as a professional. This summer, I gained further experience in the field as I 'shadowed' a speech pathologist. I gained greater experience and knowledge of other forms of early speech disorders amongst children, such as apraxia, cleft-palate syndrome, stuttering, and a variety of other developmental, psychological and physical difficulties young children can experience that inhibit their ability to acquire…