"Though her words are simple and few, listen, listen she's calling to you."( Mary Poppins)
and Laurie's insight on Autism.

Ludwigsburg, Germany, 1993

Dr. Rosenkutter: "Did you ever think she might have Autism? I have a book for you, "The Sound of a Miracle." It is written by the only woman in the world who now has a daughter who once had Autism. Read it and tell me if you see your daughter in it and write me back."

(End of letter)
Dear Dr. Rosenkuter:
To end on a positive note, as a family we went to the Favorite Park on Sunday. We parked in a quiet neighbourhood, far away from traffic. After a few seconds, CA. began to walk toward the woods. G. and C. lagged far behind. There is a huge fence blocking the woods. One must follow a path to reach the woods there. CA. went over to a place in the fence where there was a hole big enough for her to slip through, but certainly not big enough for me. I began to feel a sick feeling in my stomach. I knew from past experience that either she would slip through the hole before I reached her, or I would reach her in time and she would have a huge temper tantrum complete with head-banging. She started to go through the hole and I thought to myself," "There is no way that you are going to be able to run a quarter of a mile north and then back again to the hole in the fence in order to keep CA. safe." She would be gone to who knows where by that time.
I said to myself," You are going to have to take off your coat and climb over the  fence."
Any mother or father always recieves enough adrenalin to try to save a child, however, even at that once upon a time young age, I was not as agile as my daughter and I was feeling very weak from the implications of your possible diagnosis.I had never climbed a wooden fence before either. While CA. was struggling to get through the hole, I said to her,"Mommy would really like to go into the woods with you.I can't fit through that hole. All you have to do is take Mommy's hand and follow the path and we can find the path that leads to the woods together. She took my hand and started to walk with me to the door that leads into the woods. Then, letting go of my hand, she turned around and waited a good five minutes for her father and baby sister to catch up. She looked at all three of us. I told her," CA., "You can go!" Mommy and Daddy will always be right behind you. She took off, but this time, she always looked behind her.

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