5🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
A Review of Makayla’s Voice: A Letter to the World
Less than 30 minutes. That’s all it took for this award-winning documentary to hit me straight in the heart. I was just scrolling for something to watch while wrapping up my day. What made me press play? It wasn’t a voice—it was words.
This isn’t my typical romance bookish post, but it is about a storyteller and her love—and struggle—with expression. Makayla Cain is a 14-year-old girl (now 16) who is mostly nonverbal and whose soul is screaming to be heard. Through this film, Makayla declares to the world, “I am here. This is me.” (Psst: She is credited as a screenwriter on the film and also aspires to be an author. YAY!)
Makayla refers to herself as having autism, and so that is how I’ll refer to it here as well. Having been friends with and worked alongside both children and adults who have autism throughout my life, I’ve seen the many different ways people find their voice. But over 30 years ago, the focus always seemed to be on teaching speech, and tools like the letter board were not widely known or used.
I am no expert in the preferred use of terminologies, but the documentary refers to it as letter board therapy, which is essentially the Rapid Prompting Method (RPM). While there’s been concern about its use, what’s undeniable in this story is how vital it was to Makayla. For her, it wasn’t about discovering who she is—she’s always known. It was about giving her the means to show the world the incredible soul inside her.
Her guide, Roxy, has shared that what we see in this documentary is the beginning of Makayla’s journey. She has since moved on to more independent methods of spelling communication. Seeing the process from its early stages, though, is both inspiring and humbling.
This documentary captures the moment her family truly begins to know her after 14 years. It’s both a joyous and deeply emotional process. Watching Makayla’s soul come alive through her words is proof that souls exist, and hers has been waiting—screaming—for this moment to shine.
The beauty, love, charisma, and wisdom that Makayla shares aren’t extraordinary because she has autism. They’re extraordinary simply because of who she is.
As a journalist, I couldn’t help but want to know more about the medical aspect of Makayla’s missing chromosome, what led her parents to discover the letterboard, and the process they went through before finding Roxy. But here’s the thing: this is her story. Her words. And what 14-year-old with a soul full of thoughts, ideas, and dreams would choose to focus on that?
There are references to her spectrum and her family’s path, enough to give you a sense of their challenges without taking the focus away from Makayla’s voice. And that’s exactly how it should be.
Kudos to director, Julio Palacio. The way this documentary is shot is stunning—every frame feels like a reflection of Makayla’s soul. The artistry amplifies her words and her journey, adding even more poignancy to the experience.
Bottom Line: Makayla’s Voice delivers a message that stays with you long after the credits roll. Makayla’s story is proof of the vibrant soul within every person and a reminder of the importance of finding ways to hear each other truly.
Have you seen it yet? Let’s talk about it!
(Picture via @makaylasvoicefilm)
#TheSoulWithin #MakaylasVoice #NetflixDocumentary #Storytelling #AutismAwareness #ConnectionMatters #ProofOfTheSoul
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