SPEAKING UP- CARLY'S SILENCE- SYNOPSIS AND CHARACTERS

Carly Fleischmann describes autism as having locked her in a body she cannot control. she recollects "I have had autism for as long as I can remember." From the age of 2, Carly was misdiagnosed by those who her parents entrusted such as doctors and educational psychologists. It wasn't until the age of 10 when after constant dedication, determination and battling from her parents and a few dedicated doctors who worked with Carly and her twin Taryn, that a correct diagnosis was provided. 

Carly's Silence explores the different perspectives of Carly, her family, teachers, doctors and educational psychologists. Autism is a condition which affects more than the person diagnosed, it affects the family, which we felt was incredibly important to show in our piece. Due to behavioural difficulties, strain can be put on the relationship between parents, it also has an impact on siblings, causing feelings of abandonment or ignorance from the parents or at school, they may be bullied for having an autistic sibling. 

SPEAKING UP aims to look into the life of an autistic young person, portraying what it is like for an autistic child growing into a  teenager dealing with situations and circumstances, such as  hyper-stimulation, repetitive behavioural patterns and anxiety attacks. 

At Carly's birth there was no sign of her having any condition of autism as it was too soon to notice any difference between her and her twin sister, this was until a few months passed. 

Her parents eventually started to notice that she was different to her sister showing signs such as not being able to focus on playing with toys and lack of eye contact with those around her. 

Years passed with her parents still unknown to what was wrong with Carly, until she hit the age of 2. She was then diagnosed with severe autism and an oral- motor apraxia that prevents her from speaking. After the diagnosis, doctors informed Carly and her family that she would never be able to speak or intellectually develop beyond the maturity of a young child. 

Throughout Carly's childhood she made progression, this was after years of intensive behavioural and communication therapy and then a remarkable breakthrough occurred.

At the age of 10, Carly was working with her therapist, Howie and Barb, she reached over to their laptop and miraculously typed in "HELP TEETH HURT", no one could believe what they witnessed! After years of being told by professional doctors that their daughter was never going to be able to speak or develop, her parents finally sought relief in this remarkable moment. 

After the discovery that Carly was able to communicate through the connection of her fingertips and a keyboard, everything changed and the journey towards her self-realisation began.

She became very popular to well known TV shows such as Ellen DeGeneres who just wanted to know her story and help in anyway they can, she also gradually created a fan base on the internet so she could help others and communicate with the public.

Carly raising awareness about autism on the USA chat show- The Talk 

CARLY'S FACEBOOK PAGE 

CARLY'S VOICE WEBSITE

However, in December 2014 Carly went under a procedure called electroconvulsive therapy that the doctors believed would help her be able to communicate through her fingertips even better, unfortunately, it didn't go to plan the way everyone hoped it would and left Carly even more unable to communicate than before. She recently posted on Facebook:

"I cabnt typerc anymmyore ectt didfd thisds to meed braylin is scrrammbellld needdc fdocttor helphgfi".

To this day Carly is unable to type and is waiting for the day she can again resume communication with the world around her. Carly is an advocate and positive role model for those affected by autism, her witty, intellectual and charismatic personality has been a beacon of hope and has allowed the world to understand what it is truly like to be autistic.  Carly's Voice has been invaluable in helping the world to understand autism as well supporting parents in understanding their children on the autistic spectrum in a more informed manner.

Main Characters

Carly

In rehearsal: Carly and her Sister Juliet 

Carly is the main protagonist. She has non-verbal autism, oral- motor apraxia and cognitive delay which has left her with an inability to verbally communicate. Carly at the age of 10 discovers the ability to type on a computer to talk with her family and therapist, this breakthrough allows her to overcome some of the difficulties encountered by oral-motor apraxia and non-verbal autism as her SILENCE is finally shattered. 

Mum

Carly's Mum struggles a lot with being a single parent due to her husband's terminal illness. She blames herself for everything that has happened and is feeling like her other children are missing out, the silence between Mother and daughter become increasingly frustrating for her. She tries her best to understand Carly's needs but the silence and lack of emotional connection prevents her from fully being able to support her daughter. 

Juliet (Carlys twin sister original name- Taryn)

Juliet is Carly's twin sister. She does not have autism and is a normal functioning young girl. Growing up, she has looked after Carly helping her to calm down when she experiences anxiety attacks. Juliet can get stressed and snappy with her Mum because she feels she doesn't know how to handle Carly properly. Juliet knows her Mum loves them both, but like her brother, thinks that they are overlooked because of Carly's needs. 

Giles (Carly’s Brother)

Giles is a regular typical young boy, getting himself into trouble and annoying his sisters. He is the more light hearted character, his chaotic nature can become overwhelming for Carly in her early years as she prefers structure and routine. Carly in her later years tends to use him as inspiration for her sense of humour in her blogs, as she becomes a teenager she becomes fond of Giles and finds him amusing rather than confusing.

Carly's SILENCE

A short piece of devised theatre in education based on Carly Fleischmann a non-verbal autistic young girl and her family. The story starts from when the children were very young up until current time. The plays deals with the difficult circumstances the family goes through during their battle to stay united, whilst awaiting for a final diagnosis on Carly and her condition.  Carly's Silence looks into the mind of an autistic young person and how they see life differently, the play aims to teach and develop an understanding of autism, encouraging our school audiences to appreciate and respect everyones differences regardless of disability or learning needs.