Speechless - Brown, E J

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Résumé :
Speechless is the true story of one family who fought against the incurable, irreversible disability of autism and won. It is the tale of three brothers each diagnosed with a different form of ASD and their parents fight to bring them back into the typical world they had left so long ago. From the diagnosis of all three within a few months of each other, to the acceptance of the disorder with the caveat that they would continue to fight and never accept that this had to be a lifelong disability, brought with it the realization that if you hope anything is possible- even recovery and a cure. Together they listened to their children and navigated a new path to acceptance and opened their eyes to what their children needed. Able to focus, they began to look at all the gifts their children had instead of focusing on the things they lacked. They realized normal was overrated and their children were in fact extraordinary. With this new knowledge they were empowered and weighed the options of this new world, finding the unique therapies that would help each of their children on the road to recovery. A paradigm shift that set them on a new path from despair to hope- to a new life for all five of them. A new perspective and the unstoppable drive to get their kids the best lives possible no matter what the obstacles they had to overcome. Together they took it one day at a time, enjoying every moment, all the while moving closer and closer to a normal life. They could see clearly for the first time and began to realize what was important in life from the unique minds of three remarkable boys that would teach them so much. For the first time they could appreciate the pure joy of dancing in the rain, stopping to smell the lilacs and the beautiful music you can create with a handful of rice and a xylophone. Speechless is not a how to guide for recovery but a story of acceptance and hope that will help you look at your journey differently, and give you the ability to change your perspective, and get back to the hope and heart full of dreams you had for your child before you received that life changing diagnosis. This is the story of acceptance of the challenges you have before you right now, but also the belief that you have the ability to change the future. Speechless is the real life story of a family that was faced with tragedy and instead of laying down and falling apart stood up dusted themselves off and fought until what the experts said was impossible became a reality. They found hope again and a cure because they believed in each other and followed what they knew to be true in their heart.