Awakening Ashley

At eighteen months, Ashley Ruben still didnt talk. She wouldnt respond when her name was called; she didnt appear to hear either. She fixated on tiny pieces of dirt and ate only crunchy foods. She was enveloped in a thick fogimpenetrable by everyone except Barney the Dinosaur. She worked puzzles like a kindergartener and was computer-savvy before she was two years old. Her mothers late-night searches on the Internet hinted at a reason for her lack of engagement with the outside world. And then a