The author of a soon-to-be-released book, the actress revealed in the show Seven to Eight the difficulties encountered in diagnosing her daughter, born with autism.
It is sometimes difficult to accept a difference, to learn to love it, to understand it. When a child is born with a particularity, the road to acceptance is long, intense and revealing. Hélène de Fougerolles, an actress, best known for her role in the Balthazar series, experienced this when her daughter was diagnosed with autism and is now 17 years old. She confided with emotion to Audrey Crespo-Mara, in the program Sept à Huit on TF1, broadcast on Sunday February 14.
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She couldn't hold back tears when the term "mentally handicapped" was raised, which she still can't take. This expression is, according to her, reductive compared to "Emotional intelligence" and " goodness " of his daughter.
A diagnosis hard to accept
At the start of the process, the doctors explained to Hélène de Fougerolles that her daughter had " a big problem ", without knowing exactly what it was about. She was therefore placed in a day hospital, "A medical institute for all the peculiarities which are linked to what they call mental handicap" and when he was 15, the word autistic was asked.
The term" mental handicap ", in particular, is very difficult for the young woman to accept, because for her her daughter is not disabled, she is simply " different " and "Particular". Hélène de Fougerolles wants people to make a difference: her child is gifted with an incredible " empathy " and a "Magnificent goodness".
The cry from the heart of the mother of a little girl with autism
The actress, who is keen to change attitudes, decided to write a book, Don't worry, mom, you'll be fine, which will appear on February 24 at Bayard. And to all those who consider autistic disorders as a mental handicap, she would like to tell them that "If they don't see his 'great' daughter the way she sees her, 'that's their problem.'