The Lives of the Silent gives voice to individuals with limited speaking abilities—those often left out of public narratives. These powerful, first-person-inspired stories honor the resilience, humor, and humanity of people historically confined to institutions or isolated by communicative disorders.

Behavior analyst Andrew Houvouras shares personal accounts of those he calls his greatest teachers—clients who could not speak for themselves, yet profoundly influenced the direction of his life and work. Their experiences reveal hard truths, inspire empathy, and demonstrate the impact of compassionate, client-centered support rooted in the science of human behavior.

Contained within these pages are not just the lives of 15 of the silent, kept hidden in the shadows of society and held within the loneliness of their own isolation until they could finally emerge through the love and care of others. These are the stories of us all. —Thomas Freeman, MS, BCBA