A Voice of Her Own

By: Alison Damboise, MS, SLP (speech-language pathologist); NWACS board member

Reading time: 2 minutes

Let’s dive into a quick overview of a book featuring AAC:

Book Title: A Voice of Her Own

Author: Sarah Yong and Lois Yong; Illustrated by Lois Yong

Published in 2021

Age Range: 8 – 12 years+

Book Type: illustrated chapter book

How AAC is Featured: A Voice of Her Own is a beautifully told story of a 10-year-old girl, Mei, who lives in Singapore. Mei has cerebral palsy and finds freedom and connection once she has a robust AAC system. Having an AAC system allows her to communicate her thoughts and brings her voice to life. Throughout the story, Mei describes all the voices around her in terms of colors.

In the beginning, she explains the embarrassment and exhaustion she feels when she tries to talk but nothing comes out the way she wants. She talks about how frustrating it is that people assume she likes Barnie, which she refers to as the Purple Dinosaur. (Barnie?! She likes K-Pop!) But she has no way to effectively tell anyone.

Everyone around her has good intentions and tries to meet her needs…Should we turn it up? Turn it down? Are you hungry? Should I sing to you? Make silly faces?…but Mei’s thoughts remain unheard, with no way to communicate them. She describes feeling like she’s locked in a cage like her pet bird, Kakoo, who is also “Silent and unheard. And alone.”

UNTIL…she gets an “electronic tablet with pictures and words organized a specific way.” Now Mei can communicate her thoughts, and her voice takes on its own color. Not only can she communicate what she wants, but she can ask questions, express her feelings, tell jokes, or share a funny story. She is finally able to connect with the people around her….when they take the time to look at her. To listen to her.

Throughout the story, Mei’s experience is paralleled to her pet bird, Kakoo, who is also silent in her cage. This book is a short read and has beautiful illustrations. I highly recommend reading about Mei’s and Kakoo’s journey towards freedom and connection. I invite you to read the story and discover the color of Mei’s voice.