SPEAK II ME

Jamiyl Samuels, co-founder of children’s literature media company The Amazingly Sensational Kids, offers a memoir about being a parent to a child on the autism spectrum.

The author notes early signs that his son, Trey, born in 2007,exhibited behaviors that one doesn’t often see in neurotypical children. For instance, as a toddler, Trey would run out of the room if the TV screen went to static; although the author didn’t realize it in the moment, Trey was having a reaction due to his senses being overwhelmed. At the age of 5, Trey, who had difficulty understanding words and phrases, was diagnosed with mixed expressive receptive language disorder, and at the age of 7, he was diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. The book details the many struggles that came with these diagnoses. One of the largest problems, the author says, was schooling, as finding the right place to meet their son’s specific needs initially seemed impossible. The book, which features contributions from the author’s wife, Tracy-Ann Samuels, also discusses how the family endured financial stresses from treatments that may or may not have helped Trey. However, the story is ultimately uplifting; the author notes how the family sought comfort in their Christian faith and found that with the right educational environment, Trey could finally thrive. He and his spouse even started a children’s book series, beginning with The Amazingly Awesome Imani (2018), about a superhero with challenges that were similar to Trey’s. The memoir effectively tackles difficult yet edifying issues, and the author doesn’t sugarcoat the problems the family faced. He also offers self-criticisms, as when he states, “I am no longer ashamed to say that I failed my son. It was my inaction that delayed his diagnosis.” Yet the work is still substantially positive, and although later portions, featuring photos and recollections of book signings, aren’t as memorable as early chapters, they may provide a sense of hope for parents of children on the autism spectrum.

A personable, informative account of parenting a child with special needs.