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sarlope12 's review for:
I Have Been Buried Under Years of Dust: A Memoir of Autism and Hope
by Valerie Gilpeer, Emily Grodin
I feel like I'm in a real pickle about this novel. On the one hand, this book was very informative. Almost everything in here was accessible to a person who might have no clue what autism is, or what treatments are available. On the other hand, it is so clear how narcissistic and damaging this book can be. If your child is autistic and you deny her the opportunity to begin communication in alternate ways because you're desperate to have your child communicate verbally, you are cruel. Emily could have begun using FC YEARS before she did. I believe it was close to a decade. That's a long time of no communication. All because Valerie was so focused on getting her to speak. It agonizes me. To me this is just as bad as families that are in denial about their children being deaf. Don't even get me started about Valerie's thoughts on finding out Emily was autistic. I don't know how Emily grew up in a clearly toxic environment with Valerie as her mother.
The main point that I would like to come across from this novel is that verbal communication is not the only form of communication. Emily's writing was fantastic and I wish Valerie had been left out of this novel altogether. Emily has a bright future if she chooses to write her own novels and I wish her nothing but success in her endeavors in that regard. Valerie should never write a novel again :)
The main point that I would like to come across from this novel is that verbal communication is not the only form of communication. Emily's writing was fantastic and I wish Valerie had been left out of this novel altogether. Emily has a bright future if she chooses to write her own novels and I wish her nothing but success in her endeavors in that regard. Valerie should never write a novel again :)