Becoming a parent involves a sudden lifestyle change; it causes both happiness and a lot of stress. When noticing something that they do not understand, parents seem to press the panic button and believe that there is something wrong with their child. Unfortunately, their fears are not always groundless as the number of children with disorders tends to grow. Catherine Maurice, the author of the book Let Me Hear Your Voice: A Family’s Triumph Over Autism knows how it feels to be a mother of an autistic child. In this book, she tells her story without holding anything back.
Autism is considered to be a more general term; it comprises different disorders caused by the maldevelopment of the brain. It usually begins in early childhood or even at birth (Wing, p. 6). If the necessary measures are not taken at the right time, the child is likely to be unable to establish normal social contacts (Schopler and Mesibov, p. 16). Autistic children tend to have problems with learning and communication, and their reaction to every single change is overemotional (Schuler 35). If we assume the present autism rates, it becomes clear that the epidemic is getting worse. Nowadays it occurs in one of every five hundred births, whereas last century it appeared in one in every ten thousand births (“Autism: Facts and Statistics” par. 2).
Catherine Maurice was not the first to touch upon the topic of children with brain disorders. Nevertheless, her book can be called unique and valuable as it tells about her personal experience, her heartbreak and sleepless nights, her self-condemnation, and the force of character. Her motivation to write this book likely stems from her feelings of empathy for other parents who are faced with this same difficulty. With this book, she gave a ray of hope to those who are only at the beginning of the road that she walked together with her family.
The story of her children begins with the first birthday of her daughter Anne-Marie. That day Catherine and her husband noticed the first signs of a possible disorder in their daughter’s behavior as she did not have an interest in the toy she received as a present, and they tried to find an explanation for her strange behavior. However, the symptoms of autism, such as a disinterest in communication and no increase in affection, were becoming clearer. Being truly frightened by Anne-Marie’s condition, Catherine took her to the doctor, who made the unpromising conclusion what the girl was autistic. At that time the disorder was believed to be incurable, but Catherine and her husband, Marc, did not abandon their hope and instead started searching for anyone who was able to help. They met a specialist from the University of California who was helping autistic children using behavioral therapy (Wood, p. 7). The program had a positive effect on Anne-Marie, and she was soon able to perform similarly to her non-autistic peers. The second challenge to overcome was when Catherine’s younger son, Michel, was diagnosed autistic as well. In an attempt to cure his disorder, specialists used the same method as they has used with Anne-Marie, but Michel had significant difficulties with getting accustomed to new people and exercises, and the therapy took longer to show positive results.
I believe the book to be interesting as it is not just documenting the events but also gives all the details of the emotional concerns of the author, making readers sympathize. The book is worth reading because it does not only touch upon the topic of autism itself; it also reveals the link between parental love and the successful treatment of the disorder. It is impossible to be indifferent to Catherine’s sufferings. “Whether you want me or whether you don’t, I am here, forever. You are impotent to change me. I will change you” (Maurice, p. 27). Her honesty and openness can attract the attention of a wider audience than just parents of autistic children. To the latter, this book may become a ray of light in the darkness as its resolution contains a positive message. Unfortunately, the author did not say what happened next, if her children’s autistic behaviors were estranged or just diminished, and what her children’s conditions were after the treatment’s cessation. This fact may discomfit readers who are parents of autistic children as they would like to know what issues they might face in the years after the treatment.
The book was published in 1994, and it was a success as parents of autistic children were waiting for someone to prove that autism was not an incurable disorder. Because they were overwhelmed by their children’s condition, many readers saw this book as a breath of fresh air. At the same time, not all the readers seemed to be happy about the book. Some of them were disappointed with the subdued resolution; a happy ending seemed questionable and gave a false sense of hope to many parents.
To conclude, the book possesses some significance as it was published when many people that were facing this issue needed hope. It was able to achieve its target and give people hope when they were sinking into despair.
Works Cited
- Autism: Facts and Statistics 2015.
- Maurice, Catherine. Let Me Hear Your Voice: A Family’s Triumph Over Autism, New York: Fawcett Columbine, 1994. Print.
- Schopler, Eric, and GB. Mesibov. Learning and Cognition in Autism, New York: Springer Science & Business Media, 2013. Print.
- Schuler, Patricia. “Gifted Students and Lyme Disease: What Educators, Counselors, and Parents Need to Know.” Gifted Child Today 36.1 (2013): 35-46. Print.
- Wing, Lorna. Autistic Children: A Guide for Parents & Professionals, London: Constable Publishers, 2013. Print.
- Wood, Jeffrey. “Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Early Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Clinical Anxiety.” Behavior Therapy 46.1 (2015): 7-19. Print.