Although Robb's sign for swing is slightly modified (he does not do two fingers, but instead four fingers), his sign is still extremely clear. This is such a testament to his amazing memory since he has not used this sign in years--I did not even remember what it meant when he first started signing it again. I love the sign not only because it means Robb is happy, but because it is just another example that communication is fluid.I think when I tell people Robb does not talk, only has modified signs, and seems to use his device mostly for food right now, he goes from being a person in their minds to just another thing or burden in life. Something that cannot add any real value. However, Robb communicates more honestly and clearly to me than most people in my life. I can converse with Robb for hours without saying a word, and often when I do not see Robb for a while, I start feeling an emptiness and then count down the days until we get to see each other again. This one sign is a perfect example: He expresses his happiness by evoking the sensation of swinging, the feeling of flying, an experience that is associated with pure, childlike joy. Instead of a communication limited to words which try to universalize our personal feelings and experience, Robb expresses joy using the perspective of his personal experiences with which many of us can relate or at least with which we can empathize.
This is not to say that lack of formal means of communication makes life easier, and often, Robb will get upset when we know he has something to say but just cannot express it. However, I have seen on a daily basis that Robb's communicative skills provide more meaningful and deeper connections for those who take the time to converse with him.
