Samuel Chiou

Advice to new, future spellers:

“RIGHT NOW STORIES OF AUTISTICS LIKE ME HAPPEN TO MAKE HEADLINES AS ANOMALIES. I REALLY WANT OTHERS TO KNOW I’M NOT SPECIAL. WE HEAR AND UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING.” GOLD, FRANKINCENSE, AND MIRACLES POEM I REMEMBER SONGS HEARD ONLY BEFORE CHRISTMAS. I REMEMBER MY SISTERS' VOICES SINGING. I REMEMBER SMELLING BAKED GOODNESS FROM MOM'S KITCHEN. I REMEMBER BOWIE RUNNING LIKE HE'D SEEN A GHOST. I REMEMBER SITTING ON THE LEATHER SOFA WONDERING IF HE HEARD MY PLEAS, QUIETLY OR NOT SO QUIETLY SITTING IN MY WORLD WAITING FOR THE MIRACLE OF HIS BIRTH AND MY RELEASE FROM SILENCE. CHRISTMAS MIRACLES DON'T ONLY HAPPEN IN DECEMBER.

Samuel Chiou, Speller

”My nonspeaking autistic brother learned to communicate. Then a new world opened.”

“Relentless Hope: The Chiou Family Story.”