Let Me Hear Your Voice Analysis

In Let Me Hear Your Voice, Catherine expresses how autism replaces the norm, catapulting families into uncertain anxiety filled futures. "We think we have some control, even as the impassive, impossible truth sits staring malevolently at us. ‘Whether you sink or whether you swim, you will deal with me,’ whispers the voice of catastrophe. 'Whether you want me or whether you don't, I am here, forever." (Maurice, 1993, p. 27) The question we need to ask ourselves then is why do some families with a seriously affected child cope better with stress than families whose child has only been mildly affected? Catherine allows us into her life and relates to us the theories and professional attitudes of her time while Adrienne Perry provides an updated

30) Medical schools of this period didn’t train pediatricians to “be aware of and alert for the very early signs of autism, in children younger than five or six.” (Maurice, 1993, p. 19) Today autism material is much more readily available. Dr. DeCarlo indicated to Anne-Marie’s parents, “The sooner she gets therapy, the more progress she can make.” (Maurice, 1993, p. 26) Today an early diagnosis allows access to services providing a better outcome for the child. For about twenty-five years after Kanner identified autism, professionals almost universally went in wrong directions seeking out the causes. Catherine stated she found navigating the many studies on different aspects of autism was like a jigsaw puzzle for parents, which is also true

Perry (2004) identified personal resources as an area requiring more research, “discovering the particular internal resources, beliefs, and coping abilities… that are most effective for reducing stress.” p.7 She indicated the focus should be placed on whether personal resources function additively, moderate stress, and affect both parents in the same way. It was further noted clinicians needed to respect beliefs they don’t share as these may be parental coping mechanism, or may provide the energy required to work with their autistic child. As well professionals should deal in such a way as to give parents a sense of control and allow for self-esteem. Unfortunately in Catherine’s time period, services for autism were scant and costly. Parental views carried little weight with professionals who often still alluded to the mother’s responsibility, which translated into blame rather than services, such as respite. Earlier Bettelheim’s theory that autism was due to lack of maternal warmth led to the term, ‘Refrigerator moms’, although these theories had been put aside, yet many professionals still retained this belief as a basis for their treatments. “The hope offered …by the Timbergens, by Dr Welch, and every psychotherapist who clings to the old psychodynamic approach to