Listening with the Heart: A Guide for Understanding Non-verbal Communication in the Autistic Child, for Parents, Teachers, and Professionals

The best part of life is what we share. How do we share if we can't communicate? If we are very, very, blessed we will have someone in our world who has the love, patience, and steadfast determination to listen very hard. So much so that they can actually decipher the unspoken, and in turn, teach us to really hear and be heard. Endless research and study done through the eyes and instincts of a scientist, teacher, author, and most importantly, a mother, have afforded us this invaluable insight into the skill of communication. Matt, a moderate to severely autistic and non-verbal child, had a lot to say. His mother teaches us how she learned to listen. "Listening with the Heart" is a combination of observational science, and storytelling, told by someone who has navigated the difficulties of raising a non-verbal autistic child for over 30 years. The author understands that real communication goes both ways - an understanding which allowed her to see the child, get to know the child - and not focus on just the autism. This highly engaging book not only discusses the 12 different ways in which an autistic, non-verbal individual communicates, but also shares many heart-warming stories from Liz Becker's personal experiences. Her success in communicating with her son, and him with her, has lead to her son living on his own - independently - which is a rare and amazing accomplishment for an individual with his degree of autism severity - and a wonderful tribute to the power of understanding non-verbal communication.