Karole Kurtz
We are delighted to help Karole Kurtz let people know about her fascinating story in our latest autism guest post. Ms Kurtz has written a story which she feels could be of great help introducing neurotypical children to the world of autism.
Kurtz writes ” I’m an aspiring author and school psychologist with several years of experience working with students with various special needs. My latest young adult novel, while falling within the romance genre, also has a strong focus on sibling relationships and family dynamics in a family with an Autistic child, and contains what I feel are important messages about tolerance, acceptance, and advocacy.
My story, “How To Say ‘I Love You’ Out Loud” is currently posted on the SWOON Reads site, which is associated with Macmillan Publishing. It is easy and free to create an account and read stories on the SWOON site.
I feel very strongly about appropriately and authentically representing the experience of families with an Autistic child! I’d be so incredibly appreciative of anyone who’d be willing to read my story and leave constructive feedback. I also believe my story would be a wonderful conversation starter for neurotypical siblings to read. The story is appropriate for a wide audience of Young Adult readers, but I’d still encourage parents to review it first.
For anyone interested, here is the direct link to my story:
http://www.swoonreads.com/m/how-to-say-i-love-you-out-loud
Thank you so very much for your time, and it’s my sincere hope that you find a message of value in this story.
Excerpt:
“There have always been plenty of reasons to keep quiet,” I admit. “Phillip can be embarrassing at times. Because I’ve seen how often people reduce Phillip to his disability, I worry about being reduced in the same way, as his sister and nothing else. I hate the idea of being seen as weird, crazy, or psycho by association. I kept my distance because it seemed easier at the time, but I’ve started to learn that might not be the case.” I find myself thinking of Erin… and Alex. “The distance has cost me and it has cost my brother.”
I hang my head and stare at the wood grain of the podium platform, trying to will away the tears I worry about forming in front of my eyes. “There’s another reason why I think I’ve kept my distance from Phillip. Autism, his limited speech…they don’t just keep Phillip trapped inside another world, apart from us. Somehow, in a way I haven’t fully come to understand yet, his Autism keeps us locked away from him, too. It’s hard to give my heart to my brother. It’s really hard to say the words “I love you,” when you know you’ll likely never hear them back.”
I read this story over at SwoonReads and it hooked me from the first chapter.
Jordyn has a secret and I was dying to know what it was. Plus there’s a guy
who’s both cute AND hot, which is a nearly irresistible combination, and she
can’t be with him because of the secret? Yeah, my interest was piqued.
When I found out Jordyn’s big secret, my
feelings about the book blossomed. This was no longer just a teen romance, but
was now a deeper story dealing with very real, contemporary issues faced by
very real people.
Nearly everyone knows at least one family
dealing with autism. In fact, we know three families with autistic children. In
the United States, autism impacts one in 88 children — more than two million
— and tens of millions worldwide.
The issues Jordyn faces are not unique to her,
but her reaction and the ways in which she copes are all her own. It’s hard
enough being a teen girl, harder still when you’re the new girl in town, add to
that an autistic brother who’s suddenly attending your exclusive high school,
and you have a recipe for disaster. Author K.A. Cozzo brings it all to a
beautifully crafted climax and satisfying conclusion.
The plot is intelligent,
nuanced, and layered. Jordyn struggles to get through 60 days without anyone
finding out that Phillip is her brother. In the meantime, she watches Alex’s
relationship with Leighton, captain of her field hockey team, unfold in front
of her, twisting the knife deeper. And underlying it all is Jordyn’s inability
to speak her mind, stand up for what she believes in, and take control of her
life.
Jordyn is incredibly
likeable despite her faults. You pull for her because you want her to see that
life can be so much more than she’s making of it. You can’t help feeling her
pain — loving someone who will never be able to express their love back and
watching the boy you secretly adore be with someone else. Gosh, I just want to
hug her.
And then there’s Alex
Colby. He is my new book boyfriend. It was Aiden St. Delphi
from the Covenant series, and I never believed anyone would be able to knock
him off his perfect pedestal, but Alex Colby has done just that. While not
perfect, Alex is perfectly flawed in a way that only makes me love him more.
The supporting cast is
limited because this is primarily Jordyn’s story, but her mother is
well-fleshed out as is Leighton. They are solid, believable characters that add
depth and conflict.
Autism is real and the
author handles the topic deftly, never whitewashing it, nor making it more than
it is. This is a deep story filled with longing, hope, love, acceptance and
forgiveness, with undertones of redemption that comes from learning to speak
out loud for yourself and for others. The friendship and love between Jordyn
and Alex feels authentic, and heartbreaking, and beautiful. This story has
something for readers of all ages. Don’t let the category be your guide.