Underestimated: An Autism Miracle by JB and Jamison Handley
Friends, JB Handley is one of my career Godfathers. Many years ago he made me an offer I could not refuse. Start a blog for autism. That blog called Rescue Post grew into Age of Autism 14 years ago. JB has been a booming voice for people with autism. He co-founded Generation Rescue and has never backed down from the truth of what happened to his son Jamsion. Jamison is a lot like many of our children. Some call him "non-verbal." Some assume he is low IQ . For a long time, I have said that we need to use autism and its many stupid definitions (yes, I said stupid) as a credit card for services. I still believe that. My daughters also test with low IQ - and therefore qualify for services and supports here in Connecticut. And believe you me, I need those services for them. But my daughters, like Jamison Handley, are not really intellectually disabled. Their intelligence and ability to SHOW it are held captive within autism. I see my Bella very much in Jamison's story. I have read JB's newest book, Underestimated: An Autism Miracle. Coming this Spring from Skyhorse Publishing. I saw Bella on every page. JB and Jamison share how a therapy called Spell2Communicate (thanks R!) finally opened the channels. Two of my daughters saw Soma, twice, many years ago. While S2C is not Soma's HALO program, it is similar, and I can tell you that what my girls produced was nothing short of astounding and gut wrenching.
I'm going to talk to JB about ways to bring what he has learned closer to the AofA community. Maybe a Zoom event would be fun.
You can pre-order the book now. Stay tuned for much more info. From Amazon:
In Underestimated: An Autism Miracle, Generation Rescue’s cofounder J.B. Handley and his teenage son Jamison tell the remarkable story of Jamison’s journey to find a method of communication that allowed him to show the world that he was a brilliant, wise, generous, and complex individual who had been misunderstood and underestimated by everyone in his life.
Jamison’s emergence at the age of seventeen from his self-described “prison of silence” took place over a profoundly emotional and dramatic twelve-month period that is retold from his father’s perspective. The book reads like a spy thriller while allowing the reader to share in the complex emotions of both exhilaration and anguish that accompany Jamison’s journey for him and his family. Once Jamison’s extraordinary story has been told, Jamison takes over the narrative to share the story from his perspective, allowing the world to hear from someone who many had dismissed and cast aside as incapable.
Jamison’s remarkable transformation challenges the conventional wisdom surrounding autism, a disability impacting 1 in 36 Americans. Many scientists still consider nonspeakers with autism—a full 40 percent of those on the autism spectrum—to be “mentally retarded.” Is it possible that the experts are wrong about several million people? Are all the nonspeakers like Jamison?
Underestimated: An Autism Miracle will touch your heart, inspire you, remind you of the power of love, and ultimately leave you asking tough questions about how many more Jamisons might be waiting for their chance to be freed from their prison of silence, too. And, for the millions of parents of children with autism, the book offers a detailed description of a communication method that may give millions of people with autism back their voice.
My son is 25 and in a group home now. He is non verbal and has had tantrums and meltdowns. We never really could understand him. The Covid has done much damage but nothing our God can't help our son overcome. I pray that God will move heaven and earth if He has to to make this happen for my son. I love him so much and the sadness he and our whole family endured because he could not communicate with us can't really be put into words. But with God's grace and help, maybe he can start putting his thoughts and ideas into words. Oh Lord let it be!
Posted by: Char Lauder | May 31, 2021 at 02:43 PM
Dorota Toto: I think you will find that many of those who are pursing these kinds of interventions have already spent years trying to heal their children biomedically. It doesn't work for everyone.
Posted by: Introvert | April 22, 2021 at 08:00 AM
I have been a special education teacher for 32 years and have worked with many, many students with autism. I immediately ordered and devoured this book when I just happened upon a video about it. I HAVE ALWAYS KNOWN and declared that individuals that do not speak DO HEAR EVERYTHING and that there is some sort of disconnect. Now I "get it" and understand why! I am seriously considering becoming trained to be a practitioner! I am so inspired! Thank you.
Posted by: Diantha Velasquez | April 21, 2021 at 09:58 AM
The methods listed above, S2C and Soma's HALO, while well-intentioned, somewhat effective, and apparently offering breakthrough results, are only band-aid solutions. Why? Because the underlying causes of the illness persist. The mercury and the aluminum, the dying or dead symbiotic bacteria in the leaky gut, the hundreds of parasite species that feed on the heavy metals and which the dying gut biome is not able to defy - all these causes remain. I am amazed at the complacency of parents who never dare to lift the veil that covers the true cures for this condition. Because to heal it, one must lift the veil, and dare to step well beyond the conventional. Interventions that are truly effective and liberate these blocked young people must include nutritional changes, heavy metal detox/chelation protocols (oral as well as via enema), and deparasitation protocols. This type of approach is not for the faint of heart, it means A LOT of work. But I have seen evidence of incredible, lasting, complete transformations for children and youth with autism.
Posted by: Dorota Toro | February 17, 2021 at 10:58 PM
I want to recommend a book about a nonverbal "vegetative" man saved by a system like this and an alert caregiver --"Ghost Boy". It will blow your mind. I truly wonder if he had a vaccine-like injury, but this is just me.
JB is a total hero. I used generation rescue information to 95% recover my son. My son laughs and plays musical instruments and is community college, because of JB, and Jenny, and AoA, and Dr. Rimland, and Dr. Krigsman, and Dr. Wakefield, and Dr. Travers, and Dr. Mielke, and all of you Moms and Dads.
Posted by: Anita Donnelly | February 05, 2021 at 10:27 PM
I've seen the miracle of RPM too! I can't wait to read it!
Posted by: Nancy | February 05, 2021 at 01:15 PM
Bob you are absolutely correct that your grandson is FAR more intelligent than he appears, but he is unable to express how much he really knows and understands. Believe me he knows ALOT and hopefully one day he will be able to express himself verbally and show everyone how intelligent he really is. God Bless him and all the others "trapped" by their inability to verbalize to others what they truly know and are capable of.
Posted by: Gayle | February 04, 2021 at 12:20 PM
Sounds like a great read ,This is a fascinating area ,why no money for studies ?
When my mum had 2/1 severe stroke plus a siginificent extension 4 yrs later ,her speech improved .we used her best loved Gaelic Songs and sure enough her speech slowly improved in gaelic before her english returned and improved !
Also good non- verbal communication skills and abilities examples at ;
http//www.nowhearme.co.uk>blog 27 April 2020
Early Possum Communication Aids were used at Capability Scotland ,Day Centre/Work Centre in the mid-ish 1980's.
Clients at the Day Centre/Work Centre wanted to be labeled /perceived by others as people with a communication difficulty rather than a communication disability . The difference ,they explained was that a disability was something you were stuck with , with no prospect of improvement ,but a communication difficulty was somthing that could be overcome !
Shame the many scientists still consider non speakers to be "Mentally Retarded"
Do the many scientists know /hear what the nonspeakers think about their Victorian Labels /backward thinking perceptions? "They will not be amused!"
Eg How can a bathroom still be labeled a disabled bathroom ? when it should be called an accessible one?
Same for supermarket parking spaces ?Still called Disabled Parking Bay ?
Science sector, overtly sensitive sentimentalities ,may wish to pick up some communication tips for their service canteen tea-breaks ?
Learning Sign Language Skills For The Tea-breaks /Scot Squad YouTube
Posted by: Morag | February 04, 2021 at 10:42 AM
I know for a fact that my now 21 year old .. non-verbal grandson .. is far more intelligent than he appears to be … in my mind .. I believe him to be 'trapped" by his speech limitations within himself .. unable to express verbally what he knows, feels and fears to those he openly gives his daily trust and love.
GOD BLESS HIM AND ALL OTHERS "TRAPPED' WITHIN THEMSELVES ….
Posted by: Bob Moffit | February 04, 2021 at 08:28 AM