This book was written to try to show the evolution of methods of teaching autistic children. When we lived in Michigan in 1971, the special education teachers were aware of autism and already had programs for their special needs. When we moved to California, we found the special education teachers well-equipped to teach trainable mentally retarded children, but woefully unprepared for autistic ones. These teachers and aides became remarkable and heroic advocates for autistic children.

This book was written to try to show the evolution of methods of teaching autistic children. When we lived in Michigan in 1971, the special education teachers were aware of autism and already had programs for their special needs. When we moved to California, we found the special education teachers well-equipped to teach trainable mentally retarded children, but woefully unprepared for autistic ones. These teachers and aides became remarkable and heroic advocates for autistic children.

Realising that your child is autistic can be devastating. But there really is hope. This book shares with you our experiences as parents of a child diagnosed as severely autistic and sets out strategies that have worked for us, in terms of helping our son to develop, to understand and to function in the world.

I am aware that every child is different and every instance of autism is unique. That means there cannot be a set “manual” for how to deal with autistic children, and this book doesn’t pretend to be one. But there are common themes, and it is my hope that some of the strategies we have used will work for your child, while others — even if they do not work for you — will point you in a helpful direction for coming up with your own strategies.

Most of all, I wish to convey that there really is hope. We have gone from a situation of having our child diagnosed as severely autistic and being told that he should attend a Special School to now wondering what kind of job he will choose to do one day. His transformation has been amazing. So please know that the diagnosis of autism need not mark the end of your dreams for your child. Your child is a unique wonderful being who sees the world very differently — and there is a place for him in it.

For those of you who do not live with autism every day, I believe you too would find this book enlightening and helpful in understanding a little more about the special people who are on the autistic spectrum.

My hope is that the ideas I have outlined in this book may help other parents to connect with their children as we have managed to do with our son. I hope that it will help you not give up on those dreams of the life you thought you could have, with your beautiful child, before the diagnosis sent you reeling.

Realising that your child is autistic can be devastating. But there really is hope. This book shares with you our experiences as parents of a child diagnosed as severely autistic and sets out strategies that have worked for us, in terms of helping our son to develop, to understand and to function in the world.

I am aware that every child is different and every instance of autism is unique. That means there cannot be a set “manual” for how to deal with autistic children, and this book doesn’t pretend to be one. But there are common themes, and it is my hope that some of the strategies we have used will work for your child, while others — even if they do not work for you — will point you in a helpful direction for coming up with your own strategies.

Most of all, I wish to convey that there really is hope. We have gone from a situation of having our child diagnosed as severely autistic and being told that he should attend a Special School to now wondering what kind of job he will choose to do one day. His transformation has been amazing. So please know that the diagnosis of autism need not mark the end of your dreams for your child. Your child is a unique wonderful being who sees the world very differently — and there is a place for him in it.

For those of you who do not live with autism every day, I believe you too would find this book enlightening and helpful in understanding a little more about the special people who are on the autistic spectrum.

My hope is that the ideas I have outlined in this book may help other parents to connect with their children as we have managed to do with our son. I hope that it will help you not give up on those dreams of the life you thought you could have, with your beautiful child, before the diagnosis sent you reeling.