Silent Girl With Autism Finally Speaks

Autism affects 1 in 68 children and 1 in 42 boys, according to Autism Speaks. It's one of the fastest growing development disorders in the U.S. and continues to affect thousands of children on a daily basis. There is no cure.

Not everyone with autism will experience the same symptoms or struggles. Some individuals with autism are extremely high functioning while others may have difficulties with speech and motor coordination. Every child is unique. 

This young girl had a very unique case and is continuing to defy odds every day. 

Coco Bradford began speaking when she was two years old.

But then, she suddenly stopped talking. The Cornwall, England native was silent for three whole years. She used pictures instead of words to communicate. 

Coco, 5, has autism. 

Her speech eventually faded away, and shortly after, she stopped making eye contact and responding to her name.

"You could tell she was just so frustrated," Coco's mom Rachel told Daily Mail.

"We tried a speech therapist but the last two years have been horrendous.

"You could tell [how] angry she was becoming with herself.” Coco's family began an online fundraising campaign to help pay for her speech therapy sessions. 

The campaign has raised over 20,000 euros to date. 

One speech therapy session for Coco costs 50 euros. With these sessions, the family's efforts and everyone's generous donations eventually paid off. 

After three years of silence, Coco spoke her first words.

"I want more toast please," were her exact words. Her family was overjoyed.

"She just kept saying it, and we were just like, ‘Oh my god,’" said Rachel.

"She looked so pleased with herself and was jumping up and down and just kept saying, ‘I want more toast.'

"You are not supposed to show how excited you get as kids link power with that word, but we just couldn’t control it," said Rachel. "We were clapping and cheering.” 

An estimated 25% of people on the autism spectrum are non-verbal, according to Autism Speaks.

These people struggle to communicate every day. Coco began speech therapy last September, and her parents are amazed by how much she has learned already.

"It has really opened things up and in just two days she has started using a lot more words," said Rachel.

"The speed of how quickly she has learnt has shocked everyone. She is now shocking us every day with something new."