Customer Reviews

Let Me Hear Your Voice: A Family's Triumph Over Autism

5 star:		(63)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

When my fourth child was diagnosed with "PDD", I was happy. That was how ignorant I was--I thought it meant he wasn't autistic! Six years and one more autistic child later, I still credit this book with giving me a foothold and a way of grasping how to deal with the educational interventions that I feel continue to remain most viable for so many autistic children. I had nothing but my own gut feelings, one other book called "Children with Autism", and this book to guide me in the beginning stages of what would prove to be the longest, most incredible journey I have ever made in my life. It's still evolving, and so are we, in my family.

Because of this book, I garnered the strength to look into educational intervention for my first autistic son in the way of a "home program". I didn't know anything about what a "home program" entailed until I read this book. I didn't know that the optimal time you must devote to a program such as this has been set at 40 hours a week! I didn't know that there wouldn't be any trained therapists available--I had to be trained myself, in fact! I found babysitters, one high school girl, you name it--at one point I was so desparate I dissolved in tears and said, "I CAN'T DO THIS! " But you have to. YOU JUST HAVE TO. And you will, too, because you must.

As my supervisor said to me when she "okayed" us for the program, "Look at it this way--two years of your life will make such a difference." And it did. Not the sucess story the author had, but at least a sense of control over things and an awareness of my son's potential.

This book gave me something to hang on to. I realize now, especially after having a second autistic son, that not all things go as planned, and not all "programs" turn out as ideally as Maurice's did. On the other hand, you must have hope when you are an autistic parent. This book gave me that. And it gave me an understanding of an invaluable way of teaching young autistic children that is still the primary way they are taught most sucessfully (it is called Applied Behavioral Analysis now)that I needed, just to get started in the right direction. Buy it and read it. Use your brain when you read it and accept the fact that all these kids are different and you are not this woman. But be thankful. She wrote THE GROUNDBREAKING BOOK on this type of intervention.

best wishes, Jean

When I read some of the comments about this book I was really saddened. I can agree that there is no "cure" for autism, but I must also note that Applied Behavioral Analysis, being the therapy of choice for the Maurice family, has given my child a new life.

This book is different because it offers parents hope: It clearly describes the trials a family endures as they struggle to bring their autistic child into their world. There is absolutely nothing wrong with fighting this disorder. After all, we should all want the very best for our children. We should all want our children to be able to function normally in society.

I have patiently read through every review and wish to make a few comments of my own, having implemented an ABA program with my now 3-year old son, for nine months. ABA is rigorous therapy. It requires time and effort on everyone involved. But, it is worth every struggle, be it financial or otherwise. In no way has ABA therapy, as described in this book, harmed my child. I have not met anyone, nor have I heard of a family, who was not thrilled with the progress made by his/her/their child through ABA therapy. Our child has gained two years worth of development within a six-month period of having ABA therapy. In fact, my child scored a 37.5 (a half point above severely autistic) on the CARS (childhood autism rating scale) and is now considered to have "no autistic symptoms." We are also advocates for the Gluten-Free/Casein-Free Dietary Intervention; both ABA and dietary intervention are responsible for our son's miraculous progress...backed by lots of prayers.

My husband and I cannot technically "afford" ABA therapy. We cannot afford to hire endless nannies and therapists. But I'll tell you what we have done, we have FOUND a way to do this therapy. Where there is a will, there is a way. We took out a home equity loan, got a newspaper article, had fundraisers, sold our cars, did craft shows, bake sales...and we're still pursuing our insurance companies. We even asked our families for help. We pay our bills week-by-week. And we do it for our son. We cannot put a price tag on his future. This therapy takes some getting used to, but it is worth any effort one can give. Our child hasn't had 40 hours every week. In fact, he's made steady progress with 20-32 hours every week. Don't make excuses for your child's autism when you can do something about it. The progression of autism CAN be reversed. There are many ways to cut costs and do this therapy. But it does require effort, dedication, consistency, and time.

I love this book and I recommend it to anyone who wants a true account of what it is like to see one's child break out of autism. You may decide that the therapies implemented by the Maurice family are not for you...but that should not hinder you from at least pursuing the possibility of implementing ABA therapy. Read the book. It is a great reference, and if you wish to do the therapy, good for you. Your child will thank you one day.

Six months ago my 3 year-old son was correctly diagnosed as having PDD. The experts that examined him told us that there was no cure for it, and the best thing we could try would be play therapy. I read the books that they recommended on that subject, but I was not convinced by them. Fortunately, via the internet I found this book and the other one by C. Maurice, that is, "Behavioral intervention for young children with autism". Everything looked so convincing that I decided to try ABA right away. I did not hire any therapist, but started to work with my son several hours a day following the suggestions of those two books. My son made an extraordinary progress. In six months all the signs of PDD were gone, acording to new evaluations, and in some areas he is above average, like in cognitive skills. Thank you Catherine Maurice. Without your books I would probably have lost my son forever.

My son has been diagnosed with PDD-NOS (on the autism spectrum, but milder), and so I have read a great deal of books on autism spectrum disorders, some more of a scholarly textbook variety and others that were memoirs of raising an autistic or PDD child. This book falls into the latter category, and it is one of the more hope-inspiring such memoirs that I have read.

This book has many strengths. Perhaps the most important is its emphasis on seeking early intervention. If there is one thing that the literature on treating autism shows, it is that early intervention is absolutely critical. I would urge all parents who are harboring even vague suspicions that there might be something "wrong" with their child to initiate the evaluation process, speech therapy, and other interventions. The interventions that have been shown to be successful (the ABA behavioral modification approach highlighted in this book and Greenspan's Floor Time method) can, as this book shows, make an amazing difference in a child's social and intellectual outcomes. More to the point, they can't hurt... so even if your child turns out not to have a full-blown autism spectrum disorder, speech therapy and ABA can only help in terms of normal development.

A second important strength of this book is to point out the weaknesses in psychodynamic approaches to treatment of autism. Perhaps the most harrowing sections of the book were Maurice's description of the holding sessions conducted at the Mothering Center. I hate to think how many families have put themselves through such a self-defeating and pointless exercise, especially if it reduced the likelihood that they would try interventions that actually have scientific evidence in their support.

The part of the book that rang the truest for me was Maurice's description of the long period of doubts and the journey toward a definitive diagnosis. One of the most frustrating things about autism spectrum disorders is that they are not obvious at birth, nor does a simple diagnostic test exist. Instead, it generally takes several months or years of doubts first suppressed and then whispered to one's spouse, then voiced to a pediatrician, and ultimately to multiple specialists who are consulted. I know that in my experience, the year or so it took our family to go from "I'm beginning to worry that our son's speech and social development is a little delayed" to the official PDD-NOS diagnosis was a time of great stress, uncertainty, and fear. In retrospect, of course, it all seems so obvious--just as it did to Maurice. But we don't have the luxury of going through life with the benefit of hindsight and must muddle through as best as we can. Perhaps the greatest service this book can provide is to help other families deal with their fear and uncertainties as they face an autism spectrum diagnosis in one of their children.

Maurice's story of (apparently) full recovery in not one, but two, autistic children thus stands as a beacon of hope. But there is one sense that this can perhaps be considered one of the drawbacks of the book. Perhaps it should be accompanied by the disclaimer one sees in ads for weight-loss products: "Results not typical." The fact is that even the best clinical tests of the ABA method show only about 50% "success," defined as significant improvement of the child's social and linguistic behavior and placement in regular educational settings. Maurice's book may have the unfortunate effect of raising unrealistic expectations in parents and exacerbating their guilt when their child does not fare as well as Anne-Marie or Michel did. On balance, I do not view this as a serious weakness. Early intervention does help, and anything that inspires parents to try these techniques early on is a good thing, even if their children do not show the same degree of recovery. I would also rather parents try the interventions that have been shown to be effective than not try anything at all. Twenty or 40 hours a week of ABA may not result in a full recovery for your child, but doing nothing surely will not help.

This book is well-written and often moving. The passage describing the very first time Anne-Marie called out "Mommy" brought tears to my eyes. However, I would recommend "A slant of sun" by Beth Kephart, as an even more beautifully written and moving memoir. Maurice's book does a better job of describing the nuts and bolts of ABA and the advantages and disadvantages of various therapeutic interventions for autism. But the Kephart book does a better job of capturing a parent's emotions--the raw grief and anguish that accompanies the realization that one's child has an autism spectrum diagnosis. I highly recommend both of these books. Lastly, for those parents who are contemplating reading this book because your child has just been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, or you are worried he or she might have one, I strongly recommend you read "Quirky Kids" as a scholarly reference on these disorders.

This is a well-written and interesting book. Catherine Maurice's devastating criticisms of the fraudulent therapies which attempt to make mothers feel guilty for their children's autism would alone make the book worth reading.

However, I have three very major concerns about the book.

The first is that Maurice presents Lovaas's version of ABA as the only possible option, ignoring the fact that there are other educational methods (such as TEACCH, Greenspan, or the various other techniques within the behavioural field such as the Koegels' modifications of ABA), which also have solid scientific evidence backing them.

Secondly, she also ignores the experts who have raised doubts about Lovaas's claim to have effected complete "recoveries" from autism, and who have pointed out that greatly improving a child's level of functioning, while vitally important, is not the same as a "cure". I've seen too many parents who read Maurice's book and immediately start to plan on the basis that after a few years of Lovaas treatment, their child will be completely normal. The overwhelming balance of evidence is that as a rule autistic children grow up to be autistic adults. We (I have high-functioning autism) may grow up to be independent, happy and successful adults, such as Dr. Temple Grandin, but we remain "different", and often experience great stress from the constant pressure placed on us by families and society to be more "normal".

Thirdly, I was worried by the way in which she constantly treats autism as a tragedy and a fate worse than death, and speaks of dragging her children kicking and screaming out of autism, forcing them to be "normal". Autism certainly doesn't make life easy (and I work with kids with severe autism combined with severe mental retardation, so I know just how difficult it can be), but nonetheless it's also part of who I am, not a "shell" in which there is a normal person hidden away. How would you feel if you found out that your parents viewed who you are as a tragedy to be cured at all costs?

ABA can be a very useful way of teaching, but I'm worried about people who use it not to teach children but to try to "force" them to be normal. There's a big difference between trying to help someone learn and function better and trying to "fix" them by turning them into someone else completely.

I'd recommend that people who read this should not make it their only book on autism - they should also read a more general account of autism giving information on the condition itself and on various methods of educating autistic children, and also a first-person account such as those written by Dr. Grandin.

I began my journey into the world of autism when my 3-year-old son was diagnosed with PDD. At the time, you could have fit my knowledge of autism onto the head of a pin. LET ME HEAR YOUR VOICE was one of several books I purchased on Amazon and the first one I read once they arrived.

My son's diagnosis left me utterly devastated. By the time I finished reading this book, I felt someone had turned on the light so I could begin to find my way. I was buoyed by the simple fact that recovery IS possible and this book served as a roadmap for me. I had also purchased Making a Difference: Behavioral Intervention for Autism - also by Catherine Maurice and began my own ABA program at home while awaiting my son's admission into a Special Ed preschool program. By the time my son began school 2 months later, the teachers and therapists were wondering why he'd been diagnosed with PDD as he was markedly different from other PDD kids. Now, less than 2 years later, his score on the CARS is in the non-autistic range.

ABA is not the only treatment or cure and it is not for every child, but I believe it can bring about improvements that otherwise would not occur spontaneously. While the book is a strong advocate of ABA, it is a wonderful book to read for those who are new to the world of Autism. Giving this book as a gift would be one of the most thoughtful things you could ever do. If I had not read this book, it is doubtful I would have acquired the knowledge of autism I now have - this book was a primer for the sort of education I hope NO parent needs, but if they do, LET ME HEAR YOUR VOICE is the place to start.

As the mother of a daughter who was diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorder just after her second birthday, I felt especially raw when I read this book.

If I hadn't read this book, I may have delayed ABA therapy for my own daughter. My home-based, daycare-based program has shown better results than any other therapy that we had tried before I found out about ABA. Although I have not had heard the words "recovered" or "cured", I have seen a marked improvement in my child's language, behavior and social skills. Her pediatrician remarked that the outstanding progress that we've seen is typical in about 5% of children who are diagnosed with ASD.

Thank goodness for this book. It gave me hope and set me in motion. It showed me that I could use ABA in combination with other ongoing therapies. I didn't need to choose a single path.

I don't have the funds nor the lifestyle of the author. What I do have is a drive to find a way to bring my daughter back into the world of human contact.

I can not begin to express the amount of appreciation I have towards Catherine Maurice. Many people who have autistic children may read her book and wonder why this woman was deemed lucky enough to save not one, but two of her children from autism. I believe that she was successful not only for completely dedicating herself to her children, but also because of the book she would write for others as well. After finding out that our daughter has PDD our lives changed. If it weren't for Catherine's book, I don't know where I would have found the strength to help our daughter. Although we are greatful that her diagnosis was on the mild end of the spectrum we still had no idea how to help her. She was already in a special ed play group and receiving tons of speech OT and PT. I had never heard of ABA therapy. It was friend of mine who put me in touch with someone who runs an ABA program that I got my first real education in ABA. By some miracle I connected with a two fantastic ABA therapists who was trained by a top professional. My daughter had an immediate connection with her, and in the short six months that have past we have seen a dramatic difference in her behaviors. No two people have the same experiences in life and no two parents will have the same reaction when their child is diagnosed with PDD. What I have learned from this book is that we owe it to our child to pull ourselves together as quick as possible so that we can perhaps foster our own "miracle." Throughout this process I have encountered countless kindred spirits who have intentionally or coincidentally came to our rescue. I do count Catherine Maurice as one of those spirits.

Thank God for Catherine Maurice and sharing her story.This was the most accurate book that explained autism to me.As a nurse practitioner I find It difficult many pediatricians,to whom parents first turn can not recognize the early symptoms of this disorder.This book was my story also.I asked many so called experts what they thought and was told this treatment forced them to be normal,it was adversive,the treatment was expensive.I lost 1 year of my son's life listening to these people who also told me that my child would never speak.The shell of a child that was in my home is now a little boy.He talks in sentence's, read's, write's and attend's a typical kindergarten class.YES ABA/DT is a long hard road to be on but if your determined to save your child with a method of scientifically proven therapy for the most effective result's this is it.I tried the DARK AGED WAY first for 1 year,what a wasted year it was.My son will always have autism he isnt one of the recovered children,but the effectiveness of this method has worked for this family and his level of functioning has improved dramatically. Remember science work's and I have the data (4 yrs now)to prove it.I owe ton's of gratitude to Catherine Maurice as if you never shared your story we'd still be in the dark ages.Please Catherine help us Advocate and Educate the public and medical professional's so NO more children get lost in the DARK AGES.

Shortly after my daughter was diagnosed with Autism, I fell upon Catherine Maurice's book. Thank goodness! The book was honest and down right frank on therapies on Autism. Her daughter was a carbon copy of mine. Who is now 8 years old. Mrs. Maurice went through all the emotions and heartache My husband and I did, and researched a realm of therapies until she found one she truly believed in.

When I read her book I felt like I had finally found some awnsers, and believe me I truly DID! I sought the same therapies that she had for her daughter. It was not easy in the mid 90's their was a lot of negativity about behavior therapy. This therapy has come a long way since the 1960's. And right from the start I stated NO ONE was to touch my child in an adverse way. The toughest adversity was a time out. We finally found a wonderful man to work with our daughter. Unlike Mrs. Maurice we did not have the finances that she seemed to have but with some state assistance and hard work within my family my daughter is funtioning more than we ever dared to dream. We also used speech therapy and some OT.. No one therapy works alone and Mrs. Maurice really stresses this in her book. Our daughter is not "Cured" but I don't think any one ever is from autism. But these therapies certainly made my daughters life a lot more functional and is doing wonderfully in school, and seems to truly enjoy life!

Give this book a try if you have a child with autism even if you don't agree with the therapies used. It offers a lot of insight and is a excellent read. And I must say a godsend to to our family.