Harry's world is changing. He's sixteen with a job and a bank account, which is just as well as he needs the dosh to buy more Thomas the Tank Engine DVDs and kit kats. But how will Harry cope with the daunting prospect of a residential school placement? Can visits to see Peckham's outstanding traffic lights and Aldershot's world class charity shops ease his stress? Or will his blossoming romance with Bernadette prove to be the real help he needs to face an uncertain future?
Being autistic, to me, means a lot of different things, but one of the best things is that I can be so happy, so enraptured about things no one else understands and so wrapped up in my own joy that, not only does it not matter that no one else shares it, but it can become contagious. This is the part about autism that I can never explain. This is the part I never want to lose.' Julia Bascom's depiction of the joy of autistic obsessions tells a story about autism that is very rarely told. It tells of a world beyond impairments and medical histories, where the multiples of seven can open a floodgate of untranslatable joy, where riding a train can make everything feel perfectly sized and full of light, and where flapping your hands just so amplifies everything you feel. The Obsessive Joy of Autism will resonate powerfully with other autistic people, and encourage those who have a person with autism in their lives to look out for that joy, to chase it, to get obsessed.
A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF 2017 From the author of the viral New York Times op-ed column "To Siri with Love" comes a collection of touching, hilarious, and illuminating stories about life with a thirteen-year-old boy with autism that hold insights and revelations for us all. When Judith Newman shared the story of how Apple’s electronic personal assistant, Siri, helped Gus, her son who has autism, she received widespread media attention and an outpouring of affection from readers around the world. Basking in the afterglow of media attention, Gus told anyone who would listen, "I’m a movie star." Judith’s story of her son and his bond with Siri was an unusual tribute to technology. While many worry that our electronic gadgets are dumbing us down, she revealed how they can give voice to others, including children with autism like Gus—a boy who has trouble looking people in the eye, hops when he’s happy, and connects with inanimate objects on an empathetic level. To Siri with Love is a collection of funny, poignant, and uplifting stories about living with an extraordinary child who has helped a parent see and experience the world differently. From the charming (Gus weeping with sympathy over the buses that would lie unused while the bus drivers were on strike) to the painful (paying $22,000 for a behaviorist in Manhattan to teach Gus to use a urinal) to the humorous (Gus’s insistence on getting naked during all meals, whether at home or not, because he does not want to get his clothes dirty) to the profound (how an automated "assistant" helped a boy learn how to communicate with the rest of the world), the stories in To Siri with Love open our eyes to the magic and challenges of a life beyond the ordinary.
Harry's world has moved on. He is approaching 30 and is engaged to Bernadette. The idea of getting married is fine as long it doesn't clash with reruns of Family Fortunes on UK Gold. The church is booked and there's pork pies aplenty for afterwards. Meanwhile, the couple are busy with Lee Mack's dubious beard, car park surveys and a pilgrimage to the baggage carousel at Cork airport. As the big day looms ever closer, Harry's bowel movements raise doubts about his desire to tie the knot. Will he and Bernadette have their happy ever after? From the author of Living in Harry's World and I'm Sorry, My Son's Autistic.
This is an essential guide for parents and carers coping with children with autism. When Sarah Ziegel's twin boys were diagnosed with autism, aged almost three, she realized that there was very little practical information about what to do. When her next two children were also diagnosed with the condition, she was even more determined to put that lack of information right. This book is the result of Sarah's experiences of dealing with autism in the family. While covering personal aspects such as coping emotionally with a diagnosis, the book also tackles practical matters, such as education and the EHCP process, how to get help and support, and also considers the medical side of autism. Written by a former nurse, and full-time mother and carer, A Parent's Guide to Coping with Autism is a highly sensitive and professional guide and is the book you will want to reach for when faced with a diagnosis, or if you simply want to find out more about the condition.
She looked into my eyes and blinked hers slowly and deliberately, like a stroke victim, to show me that although she couldn't speak, she understood what I was saying to her. I stroked her hair softly. 'I know you're in there, honey,' I told her. 'We'll get you out.'" Despite the horror of seeing fifteen-month-old Elizabeth slip away into autism, her mother knew that her bright little girl was still in there. When Elizabeth eventually learned to communicate, first by using a letterboard and later by typing, the poetry she wrote became proof of a glorious, life-affirming victory for this young girl and her family. I Am in Here is the spiritual journey of a mother and daughter who refuse to give up hope, who celebrate their victories, and who keep trying to move forward despite the obstacles. Although she cannot speak, Elizabeth writes poetry that shines a light on the inner world of autism and the world around us. That poetry and her mother's stirring storytelling combine in this inspirational book to proclaim that there is always a reason to take the next step forward--with hope.
This is the story of our autistic son, Ryder, an eloper. I share my family's many episodes of meltdowns, escapes, embarrassing episodes and how we kept ahead of his beautiful creative mind.
