Film Review: MAKAYLA’S VOICE: A LETTER TO THE WORLD
by Karen Pecota

Julio Palacio | United States | 2024

Documentary filmmaker, Julio Palacio, introduces to the world a remarkable teenage girl with a rare form of autism in his short narrative MAKAYLA’S VOICE: A LETTER TO THE WORLD. Makayla Cain, daughter of Khaki and Mañana Cain, struggles with a type of autism that affects her speech.

Makayla has spent her whole life struggling to communicate verbally what is in her mind, soul, and spirit. Basically, Makayla’s body doesn’t know how to react with her mind so one can understand that aside from words, to express emotions would be complicated. No matter what age, this hindrance would be frustrating to no end.

Makayla’s parents always believed in her potential and raised her to believe in herself, her talents, and to trust that she will fulfill the desires of her heart—despite adversity. Khaki and Mañana longed to understand the depth of their daughter’s inner world. Fortunately, Makayla’s parents are professionals who know how to pursue options to help their children succeed.

They recently discovered a remarkable tool that could assist Makayla in finding her inner voice by spelling out letters, words, and ideas, to communicate. Going one step further Makayla was also introduced to a vocal voiceover that would assist her to become audible. The tool is called letter board therapy.

A letterboard is the alphabet on a piece of laminated cardboard or a stencil. One points to the letters of the words one wants to express. The developer of Spelling to Communicate (S2C™), Elizabeth Vosseller, says, “By teaching the motor skills necessary to point on a letter board positioned in front of them, non-speakers improve motor planning and control. Enabling them to communicate their thoughts and ideas quickly and accurately.”

Makayla who is smart, talented, and a caring soul can use a letter board to develop her communication skills as she has dreamed. Remarkably within the first six months, Makayla writes a letter to Khaki, and one to Mañana, sharing her heart to each of them individually. For the first time, Makayla’s parents begin to hear from her heart what she’s thinking and feeling. They are forever amazed at what she knows and what her mind comprehends.

Palacio and his team use Makayla’s letter board transcripts to formulate the script for MAKAYLA ’S VOICE: A LETTER TO THE WORLD. This insightful avenue allows the audience to journey with Makayla as she finds her voice that opens her inner world of wonder, poetry, and brilliance. She wants to encourage those non-speakers on the autism spectrum.

Makayla writes to her dad, “I’m your pretty girl, I’m smart and I want my voice to impact the world.”