Description

---

A Poignant and Inspiring Story of a Family Whose Child Emerges from Autism.

Unlocked begins with a vivid depiction of the author’s life with her autistic son, Ben. Feelings of isolation, self-hate, and even moments of hatred toward her own child in response to his behaviors, as well as the impact on her marriage and younger daughter, impel her to seek solutions for his condition. Through years of trial and error, Susan eventually discovers methods that bring about radical improvement in Ben.

The story, however, is not just about Ben, but also addresses Susan’s own spiritual and psychological struggles—and ultimate transformation—as she and her husband watch Ben go in and out of autism. Through years of intermittent progress and frustrating “steps backwards,” Susan learns that loving Ben means embracing him as he is, day by day, rather than waiting to love him fully “one day when he is cured.”

Told largely through anecdote, Unlocked is, by turns, heart-wrenching and joyful, hopeful and doubt-laden. As we follow young Ben’s exploits into a new social world, our own hearts break as he stumbles, but finally soar as he achieves his dream: genuine, caring, and reciprocal relationships with his peers.

In the end, Unlocked is a story about family, commitment, and the power of embracing, nonjudgmental love.

About the Author

---

Susan Levin, a Harvard graduate and native New Yorker, explored careers in law and design before unexpectedly discovering that her passion lay in her family when her toddler developed special needs and she changed her life to help him. Susan continues to embrace her passion by writing, lecturing, and coaching families. She lives in New York.

Praise For…

---

“Triumphant! Levin opens the front door to her family’s roller-coaster journey to reach her once autistic son, and through her daily blog posts invites readers into the intimate struggles and moments of joy they shared together.” Jonathan Alderson, author of Challenging the Myths of Autism

“Never a more apt title, Unlocked will open your mind to what’s possible for your child. Susan Levin’s account shares the struggles, the successes, and the power of perseverance for a mom healing her child from autism. Indeed, there are many options and approaches to healing—Unlocked will help you move beyond perceived limitations and open doors previously unseen.” —Julie Matthews, author of Nourishing Hope for Autism

“Unlocked is a story to be shared with parents, grandparents, and friends anywhere on the journey toward autism recovery. . . . Levin has travailed many diets and biomedical approaches, and through close observation as well as trial and error, cycled forward in helping her son heal. I applaud her insights, the strength of relationship with her husband and depth of love for her son.” —Jackie de Vries, director, Crossroads Center of NJ

“Unlocked is alive with honesty and freshness. Susan Levin invites the reader inside her world as a loving and courageous mother to Ben, her autistic son, and their family. In addition to masterfully articulating the nuances, burdens, and disappointments, Levin offers the reader a treasure chest of well-researched guidelines for successful strategies for moving beyond autism. This book is about love, connection, and transformation—and above all, about hope.” —Nisha Zenoff, PhD, marriage and family therapist

“Centuries of Jewish life teach that one is not to sit in the dark and curse the gloom; rather, one is commanded to kindle a candle and dispel the darkness. Such is the Levin family’s achievement, brilliantly chronicled in Susan’s accounting of their emerging from the shadows of autism. In Unlocked, light is sown, and radiance is unveiled!” —Rabbi Douglas Kohn, author of Life, Faith, and Cancer and Broken Fragments Jewish Experience of Alzheimer's Disease through Diagnosis, Adaptation, and Moving On

“An intimate, compassionate, and inspiring account of a family embarking on a lifelong journey to embrace and love their son and his struggle with severe Autism. The author brings to the reader her own struggles as a parent, her experience with many therapeutic modalities, and most importantly, her steadfast faith in her son and the practice of unconditional love. This book is a reassuring resource that brings a rebirth of hope for any parent faced with autism and its potentially devastating effect on the family.” —Jeanette Rodriguez, director of the Otto Specht School

“Unlocked takes the reader on a five-year odyssey of healing—not only for Susan Levin’s autistic son, but for her whole family. Filled with pain, joy, rage, and bliss, this account reveals a whole family’s experience of recovering from autism. Of particular interest to those on the ASD recovery path are Unlocked’s chronicles of behavioral, nutritional, medical, and educational interventions. But for any reader, this family’s saga, told with humor, raw honesty, and deep humanity, inspires both acceptance and hope.” —Mary Holland, research scholar, and cofounder of the Elizabeth Birt Center for Autism Law & Advocacy

"Unlocked is a beautiful and useful book for any parent with a child on the autism spectrum. Susan Levin takes us on her personal journey with her son, Ben — she details how she moved from fear and desperation to a plan of hope and action through nutrition, biomedical interventions and The Son-Rise Program© for autism. You see Susan implement the principles of The Son-Rise Program, such as joining him in his isms or repetitive behaviors and building motivation through his personal interests. You then get to watch how Ben emerges from his own world to become a loving, social boy. Authentic. Daring. Dominated by this mom’s positive attitude. Ms. Levin shows us that it’s not necessary to be the “perfect” parent in order to make an enormous difference in the lives of our children. If you want inspiration, hope and some smart strategies, this is the book!!!" - Barry Neil Kaufman, Autism Treatment Center of America/Son-Rise Program Co-Founder & best-selling author of Son-Rise: The Miracle Continues and Happiness Is A Choice

“Triumphant! Levin opens the front door to her family’s roller-coaster journey to reach her once autistic son, and through her daily blog posts invites readers into the intimate struggles and moments of joy they shared together.” Jonathan Alderson, author of Challenging the Myths of Autism

“Never a more apt title, Unlocked will open your mind to what’s possible for your child. Susan Levin’s account shares the struggles, the successes, and the power of perseverance for a mom healing her child from autism. Indeed, there are many options and approaches to healing—Unlocked will help you move beyond perceived limitations and open doors previously unseen.” —Julie Matthews, author of Nourishing Hope for Autism

“Unlocked is a story to be shared with parents, grandparents, and friends anywhere on the journey toward autism recovery. . . . Levin has travailed many diets and biomedical approaches, and through close observation as well as trial and error, cycled forward in helping her son heal. I applaud her insights, the strength of relationship with her husband and depth of love for her son.” —Jackie de Vries, director, Crossroads Center of NJ

“Unlocked is alive with honesty and freshness. Susan Levin invites the reader inside her world as a loving and courageous mother to Ben, her autistic son, and their family. In addition to masterfully articulating the nuances, burdens, and disappointments, Levin offers the reader a treasure chest of well-researched guidelines for successful strategies for moving beyond autism. This book is about love, connection, and transformation—and above all, about hope.” —Nisha Zenoff, PhD, marriage and family therapist

“Centuries of Jewish life teach that one is not to sit in the dark and curse the gloom; rather, one is commanded to kindle a candle and dispel the darkness. Such is the Levin family’s achievement, brilliantly chronicled in Susan’s accounting of their emerging from the shadows of autism. In Unlocked, light is sown, and radiance is unveiled!” —Rabbi Douglas Kohn, author of Life, Faith, and Cancer and Broken Fragments Jewish Experience of Alzheimer's Disease through Diagnosis, Adaptation, and Moving On

“An intimate, compassionate, and inspiring account of a family embarking on a lifelong journey to embrace and love their son and his struggle with severe Autism. The author brings to the reader her own struggles as a parent, her experience with many therapeutic modalities, and most importantly, her steadfast faith in her son and the practice of unconditional love. This book is a reassuring resource that brings a rebirth of hope for any parent faced with autism and its potentially devastating effect on the family.” —Jeanette Rodriguez, director of the Otto Specht School

“Unlocked takes the reader on a five-year odyssey of healing—not only for Susan Levin’s autistic son, but for her whole family. Filled with pain, joy, rage, and bliss, this account reveals a whole family’s experience of recovering from autism. Of particular interest to those on the ASD recovery path are Unlocked’s chronicles of behavioral, nutritional, medical, and educational interventions. But for any reader, this family’s saga, told with humor, raw honesty, and deep humanity, inspires both acceptance and hope.” —Mary Holland, research scholar, and cofounder of the Elizabeth Birt Center for Autism Law & Advocacy

"Unlocked is a beautiful and useful book for any parent with a child on the autism spectrum. Susan Levin takes us on her personal journey with her son, Ben — she details how she moved from fear and desperation to a plan of hope and action through nutrition, biomedical interventions and The Son-Rise Program© for autism. You see Susan implement the principles of The Son-Rise Program, such as joining him in his isms or repetitive behaviors and building motivation through his personal interests. You then get to watch how Ben emerges from his own world to become a loving, social boy. Authentic. Daring. Dominated by this mom’s positive attitude. Ms. Levin shows us that it’s not necessary to be the “perfect” parent in order to make an enormous difference in the lives of our children. If you want inspiration, hope and some smart strategies, this is the book!!!" - Barry Neil Kaufman, Autism Treatment Center of America/Son-Rise Program Co-Founder & best-selling author of Son-Rise: The Miracle Continues and Happiness Is A Choice