I just came across the fascinating and inspirational story of a remarkable young girl by the name of Carly Fleischman. She’s written a book titled Carly’s Voice: Breaking Through Autism. As you can probably tell from the title, it is written by the child who is diagnosed with autism, Carly herself.
It is insightful and amazing to read because the very fact that she was able to contribute to this book is amazing in and of itself without even knowing the fact that she cannot speak and was thought to be retarded until she first communicated with her parents at the age of 10.
Today at 17, she not only communicates with people via a computer, she has written a book, maintains a website and tweets. She also attends a mainstream high school and is in honors classes.
At the age of two, Carly Fleischman was diagnosed with severe autism and an oral motor condition that prevented her from speaking. Doctors told her parents that Carly would never intellectually develop beyond the age of a 6-year-old. After years of intensive behavioral and communication therapy, Carly still seemed unresponsive to those who surrounded her.
Doctors, family and friends repeatedly told Carly’s parents to give up and put their daughter into a group home. Carly’s parents refused to give up on their little girl. Her father, Arthur Fleischman, said when he looked into her eyes, he knew that he couldn’t give up on his little girl.
At age ten, Carly had a breakthrough. While sitting in her kitchen with her therapist Carly reached over to the laptop and typed “MEAN,” referring to Howie’s efforts to redirect her back to her work. She then typed “TEETH HURT” to explain her mood.
This was the beginning of Carly’s journey toward self-realization. Although Carly still struggles with all the symptoms of autism, which she describes with uncanny accuracy and detail, she now has regular, witty, and profound conversations on the computer with her family, her therapists, and the thousands of people who follow her via her blog, Facebook, and Twitter.
In Carly’s Voice, her father, Arthur Fleischman, blends Carly’s own words with his journey of finally getting to know his daughter. Carly’s Voice is the first book to explore firsthand the challenges of living with autism. It has done the unimaginable by making readers privy to the secret world of autism. Carly is pioneering the way for people to truly understand what it’s like to be autistic.
This is a truly inspirational and uplifting story. It’s a story that helps us to understand the complicated intricacies of the mind of an autistic child but more than that, it shows us the power and strength of the love of parents.
I recommend that everyone read the book and if you have the time, check out Carly’s Cafe and experience the world as Carly does. I did and it was very overwhelming. It was only a few minutes long; I can not imagine what it must be like for her to live like this every single day. She truly is amazing.
Photo Source: CarlysVoice.com
