As the mother of a child with autism, I have had the opportunity to truly appreciate the significance of communication. A simple greeting of hello, a request for a drink, or an "I want" for a favorite toy may never happen for many. In our struggle to make those connections, there have been many meltdowns, countless tears, and moments of desperation where I found myself begging him to say a single word, let alone a simple "I love you."

It was when my children's own relationships began to evolve that I started to see an even greater love that cannot be expressed in just three...