"We've identified that
Charlie has a speech
"disorder" that prevents
him from communicating
verbally. He can hear, read lips,
understand everything—just
cannot reply back.
This speech disorder comes
to humans when a traumatic
event influences them
into shutting themselves
out of the world, out of the
horrible acts of humanity
vanishing away—and once
that happens, they lose their
touch with society. They lose
their small steps of how
to act like this and that—and
then... their voice is no longer
part of them. They become
mute. Selective mutism occurs
at a very young age. I'm predicting
that when Charlie was young, he was
silenced by a superior influence?
And since Charlie is a teenager
now, his brain functions more
and will take in more information
and memory than a little child would."
—she continued.
"Have you had any therapy
when you were a little child?"
"I-I don't remember."
Mother spoke up, "He has
except he would get distracted
easily and money was short
so we couldn't continue. He
read books, a lot of them though."
"Since he has done reading, his brain
has picked up words already. He
can speak, if he tries. If he motivates
his brain into concentrating, he can
say a few words.
He isn't completely mute, but he is
definitely in the stage of selective mute. Not that
he wants to be verbally challenged,
it's just his brain isn't ready yet. His brain
was growing when he was a child and it
picked up all of the times he was told to be
quiet, thinking that in those stressful situations
he has to be quiet. Sometimes, the brain can't
realize that he is at a safe place.
His mind, educationally, is
at twelfth grade. Except verbally,
he started around first grade. He will increase
his levels faster if he dedicates himself. Pick up
a mix tape of Eminem and try to repeat what he says.
The clean version, of course." She winked. "I
know kids who did that and it loosened up their
verbal skills."
"How long can treatment take
to get him to his age?"
"It really depends on him, his
determination, and just his
body in general," She smiled
at me. "If you spend extra
time every day, just practicing
these words, you'll be
able to process others
freely."
She handed me a list of two
hundred words, reaching from
grade levels four to six. "Repeat these
words, okay?"
"Charlie is strong, he can
do it," mother hugged me
tightly.
I can do it. For Azura, for
my two children.
