Onward through my library's selection of autism books! I'm pleasantly surprised by the variety I've come across in books dealing with autism so far, though admittedly, I suppose, I could wish for a few that are written for people on the spectrum, not their parents. I'll be lucky to find one, though, usually no one pays us much mind. With that in mind, meet Succeeding With Autism: Hear My Voice, by Judith H. Cohen.
This book can best be explained as a case study. For those not familiar with the term, this book basically follows an autistic man and his family, as he grows from a small, clearly special ed child, to a much more well adjusted math teacher. It starts when he goes to college, then jumps back to his life as a little kid, and finally explains how he became a teacher and the hurdles he had to jump. This sounds confusing, storywise, but it's actually done fairly well. And possibly wisely; I'm not sure if I'd have the strength of focus to read the whole story chronologically. I've seen similar literary techniques before, in any case.
The tone of the book varies between carefully neutral and supportively positive to my senses, which is well, because some of the contents are upsetting. The man in question, pseudonym Michael, did not have a nice, quiet childhood. For privacy's sake, all the names in the book are pseudonyms, and that's just as well, because the book goes into great detail about the family's successes and failures. I was honestly kind of uncomfortable with the honesty, perhaps because some of it seemed a bit too close to home. Which isn't to say the author should have done differently, merely that I didn't enjoy this book as much as I might have otherwise.
So far, this book is unique in that it's a case study. I'm hoping this won't be the only such book I read, eventually, but as starts go, this one is excellent. The author was not simply content to interview the autistic man and his family, but instead sought out teachers, colleagues, and friends, in what I can only imagine was a dizzying amount of work to put together.
It's important, I think, to note that this book does not begin her story of Michael's life on a "everything is terrible forever" note and end it on a "all is perfect forever" note. Even at the end of the book, where Michael has a steady job and people that appreciate him for who he is, all is not entirely well with his family. Old injuries linger, and there's still lots of room for growth as a person for him.
I spent an unhealthy amount of time drawing parallels between myself and Michael while reading this book, and being anxious and upset. While I like to think I wasn't as much trouble as a child, I imagine I would need to ask my parents to be sure. In any case, it did not help me enjoy the reading.
Read this book if: You'd like to read an unconventional success story, and aren't bothered by excessive honesty. Heck, read this book if you're a parent of a little kid that doesn't speak yet, and need some hope. Or if you're just interested in seeing one autistic life play out. It's a good read for all those things.
This book can best be explained as a case study. For those not familiar with the term, this book basically follows an autistic man and his family, as he grows from a small, clearly special ed child, to a much more well adjusted math teacher. It starts when he goes to college, then jumps back to his life as a little kid, and finally explains how he became a teacher and the hurdles he had to jump. This sounds confusing, storywise, but it's actually done fairly well. And possibly wisely; I'm not sure if I'd have the strength of focus to read the whole story chronologically. I've seen similar literary techniques before, in any case.
The tone of the book varies between carefully neutral and supportively positive to my senses, which is well, because some of the contents are upsetting. The man in question, pseudonym Michael, did not have a nice, quiet childhood. For privacy's sake, all the names in the book are pseudonyms, and that's just as well, because the book goes into great detail about the family's successes and failures. I was honestly kind of uncomfortable with the honesty, perhaps because some of it seemed a bit too close to home. Which isn't to say the author should have done differently, merely that I didn't enjoy this book as much as I might have otherwise.
So far, this book is unique in that it's a case study. I'm hoping this won't be the only such book I read, eventually, but as starts go, this one is excellent. The author was not simply content to interview the autistic man and his family, but instead sought out teachers, colleagues, and friends, in what I can only imagine was a dizzying amount of work to put together.
It's important, I think, to note that this book does not begin her story of Michael's life on a "everything is terrible forever" note and end it on a "all is perfect forever" note. Even at the end of the book, where Michael has a steady job and people that appreciate him for who he is, all is not entirely well with his family. Old injuries linger, and there's still lots of room for growth as a person for him.
I spent an unhealthy amount of time drawing parallels between myself and Michael while reading this book, and being anxious and upset. While I like to think I wasn't as much trouble as a child, I imagine I would need to ask my parents to be sure. In any case, it did not help me enjoy the reading.
Read this book if: You'd like to read an unconventional success story, and aren't bothered by excessive honesty. Heck, read this book if you're a parent of a little kid that doesn't speak yet, and need some hope. Or if you're just interested in seeing one autistic life play out. It's a good read for all those things.
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