My daughter has Cri-du-chat Syndrome. She is nearly 8 years old and
can't speak or sign. She can, however, communicate rather well with
something called the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS). PECS
was originally developed for use by people on the Autism spectrum.
Autism is principally a communication disorder for which PECS provides a
solution. There are many other diagnosed and undiagnosed people using
PECS, including people with Downs Syndrome and with the rarer disorders
such as Cri-du-chat.

The parents and educators involved in making PECS happen for our
children are in need of a list. We met last week at the first PECS Expo
in San Diego, CA. I talked with the originator of the PECS system about
starting a list and we agreed that a list is essential for the support
of the PECS community. Then I started researching possible hosting
options and came to hear about [log in to unmask]

I don't follow any of the discussion groups associated with this topic,
so would appreciate if any replies could be directed to me in email. My
experience with lists is deep and rich. There is a private list for
family members of people on the Autism spectrum to which I've been
subscribing for almost 8 years now (having suspected wrongly that my
daughter was Autistic). The list members hail from many countries and
are sometimes very isolated by circumstances, yet we have truly been
blessed with the sharing and community spirit engendered by the list
experience. I would like to provide such a list experience for the PECS
community. I have been a system administrator in the past and will have
no problem navigating something like Majordomo (or others) to administer
the list, I just need someone to host us.

Sincerely,

Joseph Karr O'Connor
Director, Digital Media Center
Pasadena City College