Louder Than Words: A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism

by Jenny McCarthy

Book Overview

The "New York Times" bestseller that is an inspiring ?story of hope? ("People") for parents of autistic children One morning Jenny McCarthy was having a cup of coffee when she sensed something was wrong. She ran into her two-year-old son Evan's room and found him having a seizure. Doctor after doctor misdiagnosed Evan until'after many harrowing, life-threatening episodes'one good doctor discovered that Evan is autistic. With a foreword from Dr. David...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0525950117
• ISBN13: 9780525950110
• Release Date: September 2007
• Publisher: Dutton Books
• Length: 202 Pages
• Weight: 0.87 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.8" x 8.6"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

louder than words: critic.

I read this book, and found it very inspiring. I, myself, had a stroke at the age of 5. I could re-see my mother in Jenny, brave, courageous, tenacious. I, now, since 25 yrs,am a special ed teacher. And yes, I worked i L.A. with autistic kides.As a matter iof fact, my first job was at the age of 20 yrs old, with an autistic girl:Nancy. I'll never forget her. I applaude Jenny, the mother, and all the parents of handicapped children. You' re doing a fantasic job!

Touching read @}->---

While I don't have children yet, I wanted to read this because firstly I like Jenny, and secondly, Austism isn't something I understand well and thought that a mother of a child with it, would have a good angle on this horrible condition. I was really moved reading her story (which must be so similar to many many families out there) and thought she wrote well about her own situation. She writes something very profound and true in the forward, saying - "When your child is diagnosed with cancer, neighbors stop by your home bringing pre-cooked meals, hugs and support, but when your child is diagnosed with autism, families who see you in the supermarket will slip away down another aisle". I thought that summed up clearly the way life must be for so many people. People are scared of the unknown. She had what she called Mommy instinct when Evan, who never slept in, was not up at 7am one day. She found him in his crib convulsing and struggling to breathe. The hospital called it a simple seizure instead of looking further into possibilities. Her second wave of instinct that something was wrong was when another seizure occured that was very different to the first. His heart stopped yet Jenny instinctively knew everything would be OK. After more and more seizures, knowing something wasn't right, she was told it was epilepsy and was discharged from the hospital. She stuck to her guns and believed it wasn't epilepsy and went to a top neurologist who right off the bat said that Evan has autism and she knew he was right. She writes very candidly about seeking cures and all the trials and tribulations with the diagnosis etc. And while she never mentions Jim Carey directly, she refers to him as the cute funny guy. It's so interesting and informative and must be very comforting to families who have austistic children. For that alone, I highly recommend it.

An accurate story that speaks for many others

I am the grandmother of a child with high functioning autism who was damaged by vaccines, and who has made incredible strides forward by biomedical interventions like a gluten-free diet, digestive enzymes, food supplements, and tender loving care. Jenny's story echoes that of many many mothers who were told there was nothing to be done except for therapies. Providing stressful therapies for a child who is physically sick is not always the most successful way to proceed, and in some cases it can be extremely unfair to the child. Autism is a neurobiological condition. Two of my grandsons have documented mercury poisoning...some families have a harder time processing tiny amounts of mercury. When my six year old grandson went on a gluten-free diet one month before his fifth birthday, he was toilet trained in two days. We have been laughed at, the schools and medical professionals have obstructed our progress in some cases instead of helping, and the information in Jenny's book NEEDS to come out. By the way, my PhD is in biology and I worked as a Research Associate for 6.5 years in the nutrition division of a major university. The biology behind these interventions is sound. There are strong political forces trying to keep this information from coming out. It is interesting that the public will listen more easily to a celebrity than to people who are educated in these areas but the important thing is what Jennie says: LISTEN TO THE MOTHERS! (parents, grandparents).

A book of heartbreak and, more importantly, hope

Jenny's latest book, "Louder Than Words: A Mother's Journey In Healing Autism," is a book full of heartbreak, as Jenny relates the story of how her son was misdiagnosed and how she had to fight the health care system to get the right diagnosis and the right care for him. But more importantly it's a book full of hope, as Jenny tells how behavioral therapy, diet and supplements have helped her son immensely. It's a book I highly recommend to anyone with concerns about autism and any Jenny fan. It's an awesome read.