Recommendation letter from Halifax, Canada─Matthew's mother

Back in 1999, a special and unforgettable connection was formed between Ms. Tsay and an autistic youth named Matthew, along with his family.

Ms. Tsay was in her first year of study in the graduate SLP program and she came across a ‘wanted ad’ on the university bulletin board. Matthew’s mom was seeking an after-school SLP tutor for her son. During a phone interview, Matt’s mom immediately decided to hire Ms. Tsay. Overcoming her hesitation, due to being in a new country, and being immersed in a new culture and language - Ms. Tsay persevered. She knew that her knowledge and expertise working with other ASD and special needs students in Taiwan would be valuable.

Ms. Tsay requested to meet Matthew first, as she wanted to feel confident and competent that she was the right person for the job. Luckily, the animated film Mulan made a very smooth transition for their first meeting. Matthew initiated a conversation and he wondered if Ms. Tsay was Chinese or Japanese. After knowing Ms. Tsay is Chinese, Matthew took a bow with his hands as the way ancient Chinese people greeted to each other, he then invited Ms. Tsay to his bedroom to show and share all his art work. All the actions Matthew expressed surprised Ms. Tsay. A beautiful story unfolded ever since.

Matthew's Artwork

Matthew designed four characters by using Microsoft Paint. He said that these people were from Hong Kong, China and Japan. He asked Ms. Tsay to give each character a Chinese name and to write down their names in Chinese. He also wanted to know how to write “Hello” and Ms. Tsay’s first name in Chinese, he delineated these words by himself as a gift for Ms. Tsay. He made these requests and put in these efforts on his own. This story shows that ASD individuals are just like us, and when they are given the opportunity, they want to give back to those who treat them with love and kindness.