Doctors told Margret Dagmar that her son Keli, who lives with a severe form of non-verbal autism, would never be able to communicate; she was told that he would be best off locked in an institution for the rest of his life. Driven by a love for her child and a firm sense of humanity, Margret embarked on a mission to find a way to connect with him.
Oscar Award-winning actress Kate Winslet paired up with Margret and Keli to produce a documentary film about their journey. Eventually the team found an organization called Helping Autism Learning Outreach (HALO) in Austin, Texas, where specialists taught Keli other ways to communicate. He now composes beautiful and deeply moving poetry; one poem Keli wrote is called “The Golden Hat,” which describes a magical hat that enables an autistic boy to communicate.
Inspired by Keli’s poem, Winslet developed a truly innovative way to raise awareness and funds to support autism outreach. Her project asks friends to pass a hat—chosen from Kate’s closet—from one to another, after they’ve each taken a self-portrait wearing it. The list of those photographs includes Angelina Jolie, Steven Spielberg, Oprah, Sting, Daniel Craig, and many more. The Golden Hat combines elements of the Dagmars’ incredible odyssey into a beautiful location, featuring Keli’s original poetry alongside stunning photographs of the world’s most well-known celebrities wearing “the golden hat.”
The alarming spike in autism in recent years has sent doctors and parents on a search for answers. And while many controversies have erupted around the issue, none have gotten us any closer to a definitive explanation, and many key concerns remain unexplored. Moving beyond the distractions of the vaccine debate, The Autism Puzzle is the first book to address the compelling evidence that it is the pairing of environmental exposures with genetic susceptibilities that may be impacting the brain development of children.
Journalist Brita Belli brings us into the lives of three families with autistic children, each with different ideas about autism, as she explores the possible causes. She interprets for readers compelling evidence that environmental toxins—including common exposures from chemicals mounting in our everyday lives—may be sparking this disorder in vulnerable children. Belli calls for an end to the use of hazardous materials—like toxic flame retardants used in electronics and furniture, which have been banned elsewhere--insisting that we cannot afford to experiment with our children. The Autism Puzzle puts a human face on the families caught in between the debates, and offers a refreshingly balanced perspective.
At the age of two, Carly Fleischmann was diagnosed with severe autism and an oral motor condition that prevented her from speaking. Doctors predicted that she could never intellectually develop beyond the abilities of a small child. Although she made some progress after years of intensive behavioral and communication therapy, Carly remained largely unreachable. Then, at age ten, Carly had a breakthrough. While sitting in her kitchen with her devoted therapist Howie, Carly reached over to the laptop and typed “MEAN,” referring to Howie’s efforts to get her to do her work for the day. She then went on to further explain her recalcitrant mood by typing “TEETH HURT,” much to Howie’s astonishment.
This was the beginning of Carly’s journey toward self-realization. Although Carly still struggles with all the symptoms of autism, which she describes with uncanny accuracy and detail, she now has regular, witty, and profound conversations on the computer with her family, her therapists, and many thousands of people who follow her via her blog, Facebook, and Twitter. A 2009 segment on 20/20 brought her story to national attention, and she has since appeared on television with Larry King, Ellen DeGeneres, and Holly Robinson Peete, all of whom have developed warm relationships with her.
In Carly's Voice, her father, Arthur Fleischmann, blends Carly’s own words with his story of getting to know his remarkable daughter. One of the first books to explore firsthand the challenges of living with autism, it brings readers inside a once-secret world in the company of an inspiring young woman who has found her voice and her mission.
The first book of its kind that tells children with autism they are KIDS with autism, as it gently pokes fun of the onerous label "autistic". The readers will feel better about themselves after reading about their new friend, the narrator, who also HAS autism, as well as many other more important characteristics. Having autism is just one small part of his overall character and humanity. And we would never again label him as simply "autistic".
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