A Girl Named Helen

A Girl Named Carly

There are a lot of young girls helping to make positive changes in our world today, just like Helen Keller did. Carly Fleischmann is one of those girls.

When Carly Fleischmann was a toddler, her parents noticed that she was not keeping up with her twin sister. When she was two, they found out why: Carly is autistic and has oral-motor apraxia, which makes her unable to speak.

As a young child, Carly got a lot of therapy. She learned to walk, but she still could not speak. Frustrated, Carly would often have temper tantrums. Some people suggested that Carly be sent to a group home. But her parents refused. Her father said that when he looked into her eyes, he could see that she was smart.

Carly really wanted to find her voice, but how? When she was 10, Carly began typing what she wanted to say on a keyboard. It was hard for Carly to type, since she had trouble using her fingers. At first all she could get out were one-word sentences. But Carly did not give up until she was able to communicate through typing.

Today, Carly has a successful Internet talk show called Speechless with Carly Fleischmann. She interviews celebrities like Channing Tatum. She is the very first nonverbal celebrity talk show host!

Carly is also an advocate for people with autism. She wants others to understand that all autistic people aren’t the same. Carly said, “I am autistic but that is not who I am. Take the time to know me, before you judge me.”