I am in Here: The Journey of a Child with Autism Who Cannot Speak but Finds Her Voice

 Virginia G. Breen and her teenage daughter Elizabeth share their story of living with autism in I am in Here:  The Journey of a Child with Autism who Cannot Speak but Finds Her Voice.  The book is organized into short chapters, punctuated by Elizabeth's poetry and descriptions of the feelings, incidents and ideas behind the poem.  Breen chronicles her journey from Elizabeth's autism diagnosis (her older son is also diagnosed with autism), to the present reality of learning to know and understand Elizabeth.  She writes of her search for healing for her daughter, involving a journey through many therapies, to the breakthrough where Elizabeth learns to communicate in writing, though she remains non-verbal.
     Breen writes honestly of both the triumphs and struggles of life with Elizabeth, allowing the reader to understand her life as the mother of a daughter with special needs.  She shares honestly about Elizabeth's challenges and difficult outward behaviours that result from her inability to communicate verbally; Elizabeth's poems and entries to the book share her feelings and perspectives on her struggle to be understood.  Breen highlights the many dimensions of her daughter's intelligence, and honours the teachers and therapists who have skillfully taught Elizabeth.  The book highlights the need to not overlook the gifts and skills of those who are unable to communicate verbally.  Perseverance in the face of difficulties is another theme running through Breen's account.
     The form of therapy Breen credits with unlocking Elizabeth's ability to communicate, the Rapid Prompting Method, is somewhat controversial, and has not been scientifically proven to be effective.  However, Breen's hopeful tone and insistence that the gifts of individuals with autism need to be unlocked and put to use is worthwhile for those who wish to understand individuals with autism.

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