I HAD BEEN A nurse and was now a mother of twins, but I had never met a child with autism until the day a doctor declared out of the blue that both my boys, then aged nearly three, had autism and that there was little I could do about it. He was wrong. There is much that a parent can do, and I have spent years acquiring that knowledge.
At the time of the diagnosis I desperately wanted a book to read that would give me hope and tell me what to do. I could not find one. Thirteen years later, I now have four beautiful boys – all with autism – and a world of hard-learned advice to pass on, so now I have written that book for you.
Autism is a complex, poorly understood disability, and as parents we are often isolated and left to fight our own battles. We fight for what our children need and deserve and if it seems there is little empathy for our children, there is often even less for us as parents. So this book covers not only the practicalities of how to help your child, but also the emotional impact that having a child with autism inevitably has on a family.
Most importantly perhaps, I wanted to convey a message of hope. My boys were all diagnosed with the more severe form of autism at an early age, but each one has developed and changed into a wonderful young person who has exceeded all our expectations. Their success is all the proof we need as parents to persevere and never give up hope.
I hope this book will help you on your journey, whether you are a parent or someone who would like to understand more about coping with autism.