A review by omgxroxie
I Have Been Buried Under Years of Dust: A Memoir of Autism and Hope by Valerie Gilpeer, Emily Grodin

5.0

I have to give this memoir a lot of credit. I have been studying Early Childhood Education for a number of years, I’ve taken various courses on disabilities and inclusion, and I’ve worked with children with autism before. I am college educated in ECE. I’m not an expert by any means, but I consider myself well versed in knowledge of people with autism. And this book taught me so much that I’ve never heard of. I learned so much about facilitated communication. Of course I had heard of it, but I feel it’s not covered nearly enough because of the controversy behind it. Emily’s story was so extraordinary, I almost didn’t believe it until I kept reading. For her to just come out and start communicating eloquently and with so much artistic ability at age 25 amazed me. I was convinced by a simple statement from Emily’s mother, where she discussed how Emily didn’t do things until she was ready, because she was just that type of person. I am the exact same way. Neurotypical or not, we all are people with personality traits, so that made perfect sense to me. Emily communicated when she felt ready. I highly recommend this memoir to anyone who is interested in learning more about autism and facilitated communication. Emily’s story will truly change everything you thought you already knew.