Loud and Clear Reply

Lawrence Christon’s article “Kim, the Savant Who Came to Hollywood,” Jan. 8), while showing great knowledge of and sensitivity toward autistic people, also shows great ignorance about and insensitivity toward toastmasters.

Toastmasters are members of the international, nonprofit Toastmasters International. The steps of our program include getting over nervousness, speaking with sincerity, varying one’s voice, using body language, organizing thoughts, working with words, persuading people, speaking with credibility and inspiring people. None of these attributes could ever be brushed aside by describing a toastmaster as someone with a “heavy, over-loud voice . . . playing to a crowd.”

IVAN S. GERSON

District 1 Speech Champion, 1988

Toastmasters International