"We've identified that

Charlie has a speech

"disorder" that prevents

him from communicating

verbally. He can hear, read lips,

understand everything—just

cannot reply back.

This speech disorder comes

to humans when a traumatic

event influences them

into shutting themselves

out of the world, out of the

horrible acts of humanity

vanishing away—and once

that happens, they lose their

touch with society. They lose

their small steps of how

to act like this and that—and

then... their voice is no longer

part of them. They become

mute. Selective mutism occurs

at a very young age. I'm predicting

that when Charlie was young, he was

silenced by a superior influence?

And since Charlie is a teenager

now, his brain functions more

and will take in more information

and memory than a little child would."

—she continued.

"Have you had any therapy

when you were a little child?"

"I-I don't remember."

Mother spoke up, "He has

except he would get distracted

easily and money was short

so we couldn't continue. He

read books, a lot of them though."

"Since he has done reading, his brain

has picked up words already. He

can speak, if he tries. If he motivates

his brain into concentrating, he can

say a few words.

He isn't completely mute, but he is

definitely in the stage of selective mute. Not that

he wants to be verbally challenged,

it's just his brain isn't ready yet. His brain

was growing when he was a child and it

picked up all of the times he was told to be

quiet, thinking that in those stressful situations

he has to be quiet. Sometimes, the brain can't

realize that he is at a safe place.

His mind, educationally, is

at twelfth grade. Except verbally,

he started around first grade. He will increase

his levels faster if he dedicates himself. Pick up

a mix tape of Eminem and try to repeat what he says.

The clean version, of course." She winked. "I

know kids who did that and it loosened up their

verbal skills."

"How long can treatment take

to get him to his age?"

"It really depends on him, his

determination, and just his

body in general," She smiled

at me. "If you spend extra

time every day, just practicing

these words, you'll be

able to process others

freely."

She handed me a list of two

hundred words, reaching from

grade levels four to six. "Repeat these

words, okay?"

"Charlie is strong, he can

do it," mother hugged me

tightly.

I can do it. For Azura, for

my two children.