Austism Speaks

"You Asked, She Answered: Carly Fleischmann, 13, Talks to Our Views About Autism." ABC News Online. .

      The original article, presenting Carly and describing her incredible breakthrough, offers a chance for readers to post questions to Carly and have her answer them. Some of the questions are a little trite, and the original article probably has better responses than the question and answer follow-up. Asked what she wants people who do not understand autism to know, Carly responds:
Autism is hard because you want to act one way, but you can't
always do that. It's sad that sometimes people don't know that
sometimes I can't stop myself and they get mad at me. If I could
tell people one thing about autism it would be that I don't want
to be this way. But I am, so don't be mad. Be understanding. (abcnews.com)

In Carly’s own words, we have an opportunity to learn what it is like to be trapped inside a mind that won’t let you speak. She urges other therapists, in her question and answer article, to be patient with their charges and continue to encourage them. One reader asked, “What one thing do you think my autistic child would want me to know about him?” Carly, tellingly, answered, “I think he would want you to know that he knows more than you think he does. He is lucky to have nice parents” (abcnews.com). The answers provided by Carly give hope, no doubt, to countless parents of autistic children who cannot speak.

This is obviously a very heart-warming and encouraging story for many people, especially those with children who have autism and cannot speak. The fact that Carly can now show exactly how much she does know, and how much she picks up on is something everyone can appreciate. She shows that being unable to talk does not equate being unable to comprehend. For doctors and therapists, this opens up a world of opportunity. As Carly’s father explains, even professionals had labeled Carly as “moderately to severely cognitively impaired” (abcnews.com).