Customer Reviews

I Had No Means to Shout

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In reading this book it brought tears to my eyes many times. My son is verbally apraxic. I can share the Hale's excitement in knowing for the first time what their son is thinking and what he wants to say. Charles is truly an inspiration. His parents Mary Jane and Martel are true saints. In a world where people want easy solutions, they never gave up on Charles. They never stopped searching for new possibilites for Charles to communicate.

I feel this book is an absolute must read for anyone who deals in anyway with handicapped children or adults. This book is a breakthrough to a better understanding and a better way of helping handicapped people. This book will eduacate our special needs providers on a new level.

This book will also let parents know they are not alone and to continue to fight for your children, you are the only one who will. Never loose your hope or faith.

I thank Mary Jane and Charles for allowing us into their lives and for showing us brighter, promising futures for our loved ones.

With much respect and admiration!

This is a book about the best in all of us. A reaching across the greatest differences in humanity to discover the essence of our beings. It's also a story of uncommon heroism and the power of a loving family.

I feel I can speak eloquently about this because I also know, as the author of this book, what it means to find a whole person where others felt there was just a shell and not have people believe it or actively try to pull it away. It's the story of a mother and father's discovery that their child, who is a severely autistic 36 year old man, is not only very intelligent and aware, but has a depth of wisdom and love that is very rare.

But in keeping with her son Charles' attitude, Mary Jane doesn't dwell on the hurt and betrayal of those who don't believe in what Charles is saying, but joyously celebrates this wonderful discovery and what Charles tells us in his own words about autism and the controversy over Facilitated Communication (FC). I talked with five adult autistics using FC for two years and I have no doubt that every word that Charles says is his own. If you want to know about autism, this is the first place to start. For those that have used FC, they will find many new insights.

Jane's presentation is even and lively. I particularly enjoyed the biographical sketch which gives us a look at two wonderful parents in their journey together raising a very special but difficult child. I have been a worker and not a parent of special children, but I am a parent and have a special appreciation for what these parents go through. When they do it right like Jane and many more, it's especially enriching knowing them. These parents become just as special as their kids. But now, thanks to parents like Mary Jane, we can get a more complete picture of just how special their children are. Make no mistake about it, what we are learning through FC about consciousness and the human condition is equivalent to Copernicus' discovery of the Earth being round instead of flat. These special people have a very important function amongst us, and while Jane's son Charles doesn't flaunt it, you can assuredly hear it in his words. Think of this book as Rainman finally having a chance to talk.