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The Spark: A Mother's Story of Nurturing, Genius, and Autism
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Memoir & Autobiography (2013)Kristine Barnett’s son Jacob has an IQ higher than Einstein’s, a photographic memory, and he taught himself calculus in two weeks. At nine he started working on an original theory in astrophysics that experts believe may someday put him in line for a Nobel Prize, and at age twelve he became a paid researcher in quantum physics. But the story of Kristine’s journey with Jake is all the more remarkable because his extraordinary mind was almost lost to autism. At age two, when Jake was diagnosed, Kristine was told he might never be able to tie his own shoes.
The Spark is a remarkable memoir of mother and son. Surrounded by “experts” at home and in special ed who tried to focus on Jake’s most basic skills and curtail his distracting interests—moving shadows on the wall, stars, plaid patterns on sofa fabric—Jake made no progress, withdrew more and more into his own world, and eventually stopped talking completely. Kristine knew in her heart that she had to make a change. Against the advice of her husband, Michael, and the developmental specialists, Kristine followed her instincts, pulled Jake out of special ed, and began preparing him for mainstream kindergarten on her own.
Relying on the insights she developed at the daycare center she runs out of the garage in her home, Kristine resolved to follow Jacob’s “spark”—his passionate interests. Why concentrate on what he couldn’t do? Why not focus on what he could? This basic philosophy, along with her belief in the power of ordinary childhood experiences (softball, picnics, s’mores around the campfire) and the importance of play, helped Kristine overcome huge odds.
The Barnetts were not wealthy people, and in addition to financial hardship, Kristine herself faced serious health issues. But through hard work and determination on behalf of Jake and his two younger brothers, as well as an undying faith in their community, friends, and family, Kristine and Michael prevailed. The results were beyond anything anyone could have imagined.
Dramatic, inspiring, and transformative, The Spark is about the power of love and courage in the face of overwhelming obstacles, and the dazzling possibilities that can occur when we learn how to tap the true potential that lies within every child, and in all of us.
Praise for The Spark
“[An] amazing memoir . . . compulsive reading.”—The Washington Post
“The Spark is about the transformative power of unconditional love. If you have a child who’s ‘different’—and who doesn’t?—you won’t be able to put it down.”—Sylvia Nasar, author of A Beautiful Mind
“Love, illness, faith, tragedy and triumph—it’s all here. . . . Jake Barnett’s story contains wisdom for every parent.”—Newsday
“This eloquent memoir about an extraordinary boy and a resilient and remarkable mother will be of interest to every parent and/or educator hoping to nurture a child’s authentic ‘spark.’” —Publishers Weekly
“Compelling . . . Jake is unusual, but so is his superhuman mom.” —Booklist
“The Spark describes in glowing terms the profound intensity with which a mother can love her child.”—Andrew Solomon, author of The Noonday Demon and Far from the Tree
“Every parent and teacher should read this fabulous book!”—Temple Grandin, author of Thinking in Pictures and co-author of The Autistic Brain
From the Hardcover edition.
The Spark is a remarkable memoir of mother and son. Surrounded by “experts” at home and in special ed who tried to focus on Jake’s most basic skills and curtail his distracting interests—moving shadows on the wall, stars, plaid patterns on sofa fabric—Jake made no progress, withdrew more and more into his own world, and eventually stopped talking completely. Kristine knew in her heart that she had to make a change. Against the advice of her husband, Michael, and the developmental specialists, Kristine followed her instincts, pulled Jake out of special ed, and began preparing him for mainstream kindergarten on her own.
Relying on the insights she developed at the daycare center she runs out of the garage in her home, Kristine resolved to follow Jacob’s “spark”—his passionate interests. Why concentrate on what he couldn’t do? Why not focus on what he could? This basic philosophy, along with her belief in the power of ordinary childhood experiences (softball, picnics, s’mores around the campfire) and the importance of play, helped Kristine overcome huge odds.
The Barnetts were not wealthy people, and in addition to financial hardship, Kristine herself faced serious health issues. But through hard work and determination on behalf of Jake and his two younger brothers, as well as an undying faith in their community, friends, and family, Kristine and Michael prevailed. The results were beyond anything anyone could have imagined.
Dramatic, inspiring, and transformative, The Spark is about the power of love and courage in the face of overwhelming obstacles, and the dazzling possibilities that can occur when we learn how to tap the true potential that lies within every child, and in all of us.
Praise for The Spark
“[An] amazing memoir . . . compulsive reading.”—The Washington Post
“The Spark is about the transformative power of unconditional love. If you have a child who’s ‘different’—and who doesn’t?—you won’t be able to put it down.”—Sylvia Nasar, author of A Beautiful Mind
“Love, illness, faith, tragedy and triumph—it’s all here. . . . Jake Barnett’s story contains wisdom for every parent.”—Newsday
“This eloquent memoir about an extraordinary boy and a resilient and remarkable mother will be of interest to every parent and/or educator hoping to nurture a child’s authentic ‘spark.’” —Publishers Weekly
“Compelling . . . Jake is unusual, but so is his superhuman mom.” —Booklist
“The Spark describes in glowing terms the profound intensity with which a mother can love her child.”—Andrew Solomon, author of The Noonday Demon and Far from the Tree
“Every parent and teacher should read this fabulous book!”—Temple Grandin, author of Thinking in Pictures and co-author of The Autistic Brain
From the Hardcover edition.
288 pages, Paperback
First published April 9, 2013
337 people are currently reading
13708 people want to read
About the author
Kristine Barnett
6 books58 followersKristine Barnett lives in Indiana with her husband, Michael, and their three sons. In 1996 she founded Acorn Hill Academy, a daycare serving local families. She and Michael currently run a charitable community center for autistic and special-needs children and their families called Jacob’s Place.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,208 reviews
December 4, 2013
I finished this book last week and had to put it aside to give it some thought. I wanted to make sure that I was reviewing the BOOK and not the story behind it.
The story of Jake is impressive. He is a brilliant young man. His parents went through a lot in life and suffered more than people should, and it sounds like they kept up a good attitude through all of it. All of that is good.
The book, however, is disappointing on many fronts. The writing isn't great, but I'm willing to forgive some of that when it is an autobiography, written by an amateur writer. The main problem though is that the book misses some points and oversells the story and its characters, and in doing so, lost me as a reader who started out very engaged. By the end, I was rolling my eyes.
As the writer tells the story, Jake got a very drastic diagnosis at a very young age. At no point does she even question whether, perhaps, the initial diagnosis itself might have been wrong. Why not? Instead of proving how they overcame the diagnosis, perhaps she could have discussed what must have occurred to them at some point: that Jake, like many other kids on the spectrum, might not be as low on the autism scale as was initially thought. The writer adds a lot of drama to the story without resolving some of the issues that her readers are given. Her middle son, for example, seems to have a very serious medical issue, but we are never told whether that was resolved. She herself gets a serious diagnosis as well, but we are never really told how that affects her life.
The main problem for me is the oversell. The mom doesn't just run a daycare, she runs what sounds like the world's BEST daycare. The office workers at the testing facility where Jake takes some tests are ECSTATIC with his results. People are not middle class or lower class in this book: they are either VERY POOR or VERY RICH. And here is the oversell that lost me completely: Jake enrolls in college, starts tutoring other students, and doesn't just feel happy when they succeed. He and the student he helps at one point WEEP with joy. I don't buy it. No kid weeps with joy at much of anything, and even if such a kid existed, I think odds are that it would not be a kid on the autism spectrum.
Again - to take nothing away from the kid or the family - the book feels the author took some leaps (and perhaps, as has been suggested on various blogs, made some omissions: she never mentions that she published YouTube videos of her son...) I think that when one has a story this compelling, it is better told simply. Jake doesn't need to be presented as a saint in order for us to admire him: he has other compelling traits that are admirable in and of themselves.
I'm glad I read it because I wanted to know the story, but I sure wish someone else would tell this story better - and truer.
The story of Jake is impressive. He is a brilliant young man. His parents went through a lot in life and suffered more than people should, and it sounds like they kept up a good attitude through all of it. All of that is good.
The book, however, is disappointing on many fronts. The writing isn't great, but I'm willing to forgive some of that when it is an autobiography, written by an amateur writer. The main problem though is that the book misses some points and oversells the story and its characters, and in doing so, lost me as a reader who started out very engaged. By the end, I was rolling my eyes.
As the writer tells the story, Jake got a very drastic diagnosis at a very young age. At no point does she even question whether, perhaps, the initial diagnosis itself might have been wrong. Why not? Instead of proving how they overcame the diagnosis, perhaps she could have discussed what must have occurred to them at some point: that Jake, like many other kids on the spectrum, might not be as low on the autism scale as was initially thought. The writer adds a lot of drama to the story without resolving some of the issues that her readers are given. Her middle son, for example, seems to have a very serious medical issue, but we are never told whether that was resolved. She herself gets a serious diagnosis as well, but we are never really told how that affects her life.
The main problem for me is the oversell. The mom doesn't just run a daycare, she runs what sounds like the world's BEST daycare. The office workers at the testing facility where Jake takes some tests are ECSTATIC with his results. People are not middle class or lower class in this book: they are either VERY POOR or VERY RICH. And here is the oversell that lost me completely: Jake enrolls in college, starts tutoring other students, and doesn't just feel happy when they succeed. He and the student he helps at one point WEEP with joy. I don't buy it. No kid weeps with joy at much of anything, and even if such a kid existed, I think odds are that it would not be a kid on the autism spectrum.
Again - to take nothing away from the kid or the family - the book feels the author took some leaps (and perhaps, as has been suggested on various blogs, made some omissions: she never mentions that she published YouTube videos of her son...) I think that when one has a story this compelling, it is better told simply. Jake doesn't need to be presented as a saint in order for us to admire him: he has other compelling traits that are admirable in and of themselves.
I'm glad I read it because I wanted to know the story, but I sure wish someone else would tell this story better - and truer.
January 2, 2024
What a horrible human being. You should be in jail for what you did to your other child, Natalia.
January 3, 2024
Natalia Grace lost her entire childhood to this woman and will be processing the trauma she inflicted for the rest of her life. The fact that a book by a systematic abuser and exploiter of disabled kids is still in print is disgusting.
December 4, 2013
The Spark: A Mother's Story of Nurturing Genius by Kristine Barnett is about how Kristine nurtured, supported, and encouraged her autistic son to be all he is capable of being. Her son, Jake, just happens to be a prodigy in math and science. Jake "began taking college-level courses in math, astronomy, and physics at age eight and was accepted to university at nine. Not long after, he began work on an original theory in the field of relativity."
"...Jake’s improbable mind is all the more remarkable for the fact that it was almost lost.... [after a] diagnosis of autism Jake had received when he was two. We had helplessly looked on as our vibrant, precocious baby boy gradually stopped talking, disappearing before our eyes into a world of his own. His prognosis quickly went from gloomy to downright grim. When he was three, the goal the experts set for him was the hope that he’d be able to tie his own shoes at sixteen." (Location 91-95)
The Spark is the story of how Kristine went from the diagnoses that Jake would never speak or tie his shoes to his being paid for advanced degree college research at age 12. Kristine believes that her journey with her remarkable son is due to "the power of hope and the dazzling possibilities that can occur when we keep our minds open and learn how to tap the true potential that lies within every child." (Location 97)
She firmly believes that focusing on what a child diagnosed with autism can do and what they enjoy, rather than their limitations, can help any child achieve goals beyond the expected. Kristine ran a daycare, and in the evenings she held special classes to support and teach local special needs children how to go to school. She also has a community program she designed to help these kids experience sports in a way that they can participate.
Although this is described as a memoir about her son, it really is about Kristine Barnett. And, at times, I found Kristine's voice in this account bordering self-righteousness and superiority. There in lies some of the issues I had with The Spark. Now, admittedly some of my issues are because I am likely not Kristine's target audience. First, I am currently working in public school special education. For all the side-stepping around her true feelings, it was quite clear that she does not respect SPED personnel. However, some of her issues could have been resolved with the public schools had she entered into meetings with a positive frame of mind along with her assertiveness, rather than the combative attitude her interactions seem to have taken.
Then, later, she makes it clear that her husband wanted his kids to experience the normal childhood he had, so home schooling was not an option. I home schooled my kids through high school - very successfully too. This kind of comment always makes me shake my head. Home schooled kids have plenty of opportunities to experience what kids in other schools experience, and perhaps more time and freedom to do so while parents tailor their educational needs to best fit them.
What I really wanted to read about was what she did do - not just the struggles, but the successes. She mentions she had great success and gives a few individual examples, but, really, just in passing. If she is having such phenomenal success with helping autistic kids adjust, then this, along with the success story of her son, should have been the focus of this book. There was a lot of repeating that play is important and that parents need to follow what kids are interested in - but most parents understand and do that already. (Even most special ed programs do that.)
I had an advanced reading copy and so some of the errors and leaps in the book could have been corrected (like going from jobless and broke to it's all A-okay again without much explanation), as well as some of the little snips (like toward public school SPED). Perhaps I just need to admit that this story, as interesting and appealing as it is, simply isn't told in a manner that I can take seriously. I think a good book could be found in Jake's story, but, for me, this wasn't quite it.
Even with these complaints, The Spark is enjoyable and may help give other parents hope and ideas that might work with their children (but don't expect too many new ideas). Other advanced readers are giving it all five stars, so my feelings likely are not going to be the norm here.
Recommended
I received an advanced reading copy of this book for review purposes.
"...Jake’s improbable mind is all the more remarkable for the fact that it was almost lost.... [after a] diagnosis of autism Jake had received when he was two. We had helplessly looked on as our vibrant, precocious baby boy gradually stopped talking, disappearing before our eyes into a world of his own. His prognosis quickly went from gloomy to downright grim. When he was three, the goal the experts set for him was the hope that he’d be able to tie his own shoes at sixteen." (Location 91-95)
The Spark is the story of how Kristine went from the diagnoses that Jake would never speak or tie his shoes to his being paid for advanced degree college research at age 12. Kristine believes that her journey with her remarkable son is due to "the power of hope and the dazzling possibilities that can occur when we keep our minds open and learn how to tap the true potential that lies within every child." (Location 97)
She firmly believes that focusing on what a child diagnosed with autism can do and what they enjoy, rather than their limitations, can help any child achieve goals beyond the expected. Kristine ran a daycare, and in the evenings she held special classes to support and teach local special needs children how to go to school. She also has a community program she designed to help these kids experience sports in a way that they can participate.
Although this is described as a memoir about her son, it really is about Kristine Barnett. And, at times, I found Kristine's voice in this account bordering self-righteousness and superiority. There in lies some of the issues I had with The Spark. Now, admittedly some of my issues are because I am likely not Kristine's target audience. First, I am currently working in public school special education. For all the side-stepping around her true feelings, it was quite clear that she does not respect SPED personnel. However, some of her issues could have been resolved with the public schools had she entered into meetings with a positive frame of mind along with her assertiveness, rather than the combative attitude her interactions seem to have taken.
Then, later, she makes it clear that her husband wanted his kids to experience the normal childhood he had, so home schooling was not an option. I home schooled my kids through high school - very successfully too. This kind of comment always makes me shake my head. Home schooled kids have plenty of opportunities to experience what kids in other schools experience, and perhaps more time and freedom to do so while parents tailor their educational needs to best fit them.
What I really wanted to read about was what she did do - not just the struggles, but the successes. She mentions she had great success and gives a few individual examples, but, really, just in passing. If she is having such phenomenal success with helping autistic kids adjust, then this, along with the success story of her son, should have been the focus of this book. There was a lot of repeating that play is important and that parents need to follow what kids are interested in - but most parents understand and do that already. (Even most special ed programs do that.)
I had an advanced reading copy and so some of the errors and leaps in the book could have been corrected (like going from jobless and broke to it's all A-okay again without much explanation), as well as some of the little snips (like toward public school SPED). Perhaps I just need to admit that this story, as interesting and appealing as it is, simply isn't told in a manner that I can take seriously. I think a good book could be found in Jake's story, but, for me, this wasn't quite it.
Even with these complaints, The Spark is enjoyable and may help give other parents hope and ideas that might work with their children (but don't expect too many new ideas). Other advanced readers are giving it all five stars, so my feelings likely are not going to be the norm here.
Recommended
I received an advanced reading copy of this book for review purposes.
August 30, 2017
"Μπορει να κανει ο,τι θελησει". Αυτα ειναι τα λογια του καθηγητη φυσικης του πανεπιστημιου του Τζέικ.του Τζέικ που ειναι 11 ετων οταν παει στο πανεπιστημιο.του Τζέικ που ειναι αυτιστικος.του Τζέικ που οι δασκαλες ειδικης αγωγης ,στα 2μολις χρινια του, ειχαν συμβουλευσει τη μητερα του να μην χανει τον καιρο της προσπαθωντας με ειδικες καρτες να του μαθει την ΑΒ γιατι δε θα καταφερνε ποτε να διαβασει ή να γραψει.ευτυχως αντ'αυτου η μητερα του τον πηρε απο την ειδικη αγωγη και αποφασισε οτι ηταν προτιμοτερο να εστιασει στην κλιση του Τζέικ(που ειχε να κανει με τη φυσικη, τα μαθηματικα και τους πλανητες), αντι να εστιασει στο τι ΔΕΝ μπορει να κανει και πως θα τον αλλαξει ωστε να ταιριαξει καλυτερα στο εκπαιδευτικο συστημα και στα πρεπει της κοινωνιας.ευτυχως.γιατι ο Τζέικ αποδειχτηκε ενα παιδι θαυμα με δεικτη ευφυιας υψηλοτερο του Αϊνσταιν πηγαινοντας γραμμη για νομπελ!!!αυτο το βιβλιο λοιπον μιλα για την ιστορια του Τζέικ και την καθημερινη του μαχη με τον αυτισμο, μεσα απο τα ματια της μητερας του.μιας σπουδαιας κατα τη γνωμη μου γυναικας που με συγκινησε με τη θεληση και την αγαπη της για ζωη παρ'ολες τις τεραστιες δυσκολιες(θεματα υγειας της ιδιας, του δευτερου γιου της, οικονομικη καταστροφη κλπ), επειδη απλα μονο ετσι ηξερε και τιποτε αλλο. Απο μικρη ζουσε σε ενα οικογενειακο περιβαλλον απολυτης αγαπης και αποδοχης . ηταν λοιπον επομενο να θελει να τα μεταδωσει αυτα και στη δικη της οικογενεια αργοτερα και ισως η αγαπη και η αποδοχη ηταν το κλειδι στην αλματωδη βελτιωση του Τζέικ.Ειναι ενα βιβλιο που δινει μαθηματα ζωης και σε βαζει στη διαδικασια να σκεφτεις τι θεωρεις δυσκολο στη ζωη σου αλλα και τι κανεις πραγματικα για αυτους που αγαπας.γελασα, εκλαψα, εντυπωσιαστηκα και θαυμασα το τεραστιο αυτο μυαλο σε "συσκευασια" ενος μικρου παιδιου.ολα τα συναισθηματα ηταν εκει οπως συμβαινει παντα σε οσους εχουμε την τιμη να εχουμε γνωρισει τετοιου ειδους ξεχωριστα πλασματα.πραγματικα διαβαστε αυτο το βιβλιο! Θα σας δωσει πολυ περισσοτερα απο μια ματια στον κοσμο του αυτισμου.
August 10, 2016
This book just annoyed me. Maybe it's because I've worked with many different students with autism and other special needs, or because I found the writing style to be annoying - simultaneously understated and over-exaggerated. Her story is nice to hear, but I got the feeling at times that she felt that she was the first person to realize that if you look at what a child can do instead of what he/she can't, you can see potential. And she most definitely didn't come up with the idea to use PECS with a child with autism for communication rather than just stroke patients. As someone who works with many professionals who work closely with students diagnosed with autism, I feel like this book gives the message that speech pathologists, occupational therapists, etc. all prohibit the potential for children, and that only a parent could figure out the strengths of a child; this couldn't be further from the truth. I do hope that Kristine's story is empowering, but it should most definitely not be the only text to read about parenting a child with exceptional needs.
October 14, 2013
This was the first book I read after my son was diagnosed with autism in April this year. The book made my heart swell and gave me so much hope he would turn out like this young man. I have a voracious appetite for books and began reading everything I could consume on autism (looking for a cure that doesn't exist). Within weeks, I realized this story was a rare scenario and likely a misdiagnosis. Why I didn't give this book a higher review was because after the author and her son gained national fame, my friends and family started spamming me with this news and YouTube videos siting possible genius opportunities and a happy ending to our personal journey in autism. It was then that I realized what the author had done to parents raising autistic children (or caring for autistic adults); the author had mislead readers and TV viewers. She had given the unassuming public a false belief about the real story of autism. She should have started her book and interviews prefacing that this brilliance and return-to-neurotypical was a rare outcome. Even the YouTube videos that have gone viral should have given this primer before launching into documenting his genius. Any parent raising a child on the spectrum knows this child-turned-young man was not likely on the spectrum and was misdiagnosed in his early years. He was simply a genius and likely had a few attributes resembling ASD which mislead therapists and child psychologists. Or he had High Functioning Aspergers and through rigorous early intervention therapy (that somehow an impoverished household could afford) Jacob was able to adopt neurotypical social behaviour. I admire his mother for taking her hand at the written word to tell his beautiful academic journey and I hope he achieves great things with his brilliant mind. She certainly has set the bar high for scrutiny and public opinion; that is a lot of pressure for any child.
February 5, 2014
Like many others, I have had this book recommended to me frequently since my youngest child was diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. I wish, honestly, that I had NOT read it. It pushes the "ASD are all hidden geniuses" stereotype, and furthermore, suggests that the boy's achievements are solely due to his mother "recognizing" his abilities.
The author/mother disregards and demeans her husband, trivializes the health concerns of her second son, and outright ignores her youngest, all to "nurture" her eldest. The fact that her family has been involved in ASD community-building and education is also secondary to her reflected glory.
Quite frankly, I found her attitude and platitudes sickening. I wish nothing but happiness for that family as a whole, but I wanted to punch her in the face repeatedly while reading this self-aggrandizing memoir.
The author/mother disregards and demeans her husband, trivializes the health concerns of her second son, and outright ignores her youngest, all to "nurture" her eldest. The fact that her family has been involved in ASD community-building and education is also secondary to her reflected glory.
Quite frankly, I found her attitude and platitudes sickening. I wish nothing but happiness for that family as a whole, but I wanted to punch her in the face repeatedly while reading this self-aggrandizing memoir.
January 3, 2024
Nobody should EVER read this child abuser’s book. She wrote this book for praise for herself, and her son, the subject of this book, has stated that he didn’t receive one penny from the sale of this book. She also abused her adopted daughter and tried to kill her.
September 10, 2017
Διαβάζοντας κανείς την ιστορία του Τζέικομπ κατανοεί αμέσως ότι ο μικρός είναι ο Μότσαρτ των μαθηματικών. Όπως και ο Μότσαρτ που στα 12 και μέσα σε 7 μέρες(λιγότερο δηλαδή και από έναν αντιγραφεα) συνέθεσε μια αριστουργηματική οπερα,έτσι και ο Τζέικομπ στα 11 του πήρε Α στο διαγώνισμα των μαθηματικών του κολεγίου!Κατανοώ τις αρνητικές κριτικές που πήρε το βιβλίο κυρίως από γονείς που έχουν αυτιστικά παιδιά γιατί η μητερα του πηγε κόντρα στις τυπικές ψυχοθεραπειες των αυτιστικών ακολουθώντας μια δικιά της γραμμή τελείως διαφορετική η οποία απέδωσε καρπούς.Λογικό μου ακούγεται.Κάθε τι που αμφισβητεί και απορρίπτει μια συγκεκριμένη τυπική μέθοδο δέχεται πάντα τα πυρά από στενομυαλους και συντηρητικούς ανθρώπους που είναι και παρά πολλοί.Επίσης λογικό επίσης μου ακούγεται που η Μητέρα του Τζέικομπ έχει ακούσει πολλά αρνητικά σχόλια λόγω της υποστήριξης της Αμερικανικής επέμβασης στο Αφγανιστάν. Πέρα όμως των όποιον πολιτικών της πεποιθήσεων είναι μια γυναίκα που αξίζει να της βγάλουμε το καπέλο.
Αφοσιώθηκε πλήρως όχι μόνο στον γιό της αλλά και στα υπόλοιπα αυτιστικά παιδιά ανοίγοντας έναν ειδικό παιδικό σταθμό και δουλεύοντας 18-19 ώρες την μέρα χωρίς οικονομικές απολαβές.Ως εκ τούτου υπεστει πολλά προβλήματα υγείας και Οικονομικη καταστροφή αλλα δεν το έβαλε κατω.Συνέχισε να βοηθάει και να πιστεύει στον γιο της.Η ιστορία της θα πρέπει να διαβαστεί απ όλους όχι μόνο για την σπανιότητα της περίπτωσης αλλά και για το γεγονός ότι δίνονται τραγικά στοιχεία για το σύστημα εκπαίδευσης και Υγείας στην Αμερική αλλά και για την οικονομική κρίση που έπληξε την χώρα.Δηλαδή μπροστά στην αμερικανική κρίση η δική μας είναι παιδική χαρά.Παρόλο που ο γιος της ήταν αναγνωρισμένη μεγαλοφυΐα από διδάκτορες και κορυφαίους αστροφυσικός τα έξοδα για σπουδές και βιβλία ήταν τεράστια.Μόνο όταν έγινε διάσημος στην τηλεόραση σταμάτησαν τα οικονομικά προβλήματα.Πραγματικά συγκλονιστικό βιβλίο
Αφοσιώθηκε πλήρως όχι μόνο στον γιό της αλλά και στα υπόλοιπα αυτιστικά παιδιά ανοίγοντας έναν ειδικό παιδικό σταθμό και δουλεύοντας 18-19 ώρες την μέρα χωρίς οικονομικές απολαβές.Ως εκ τούτου υπεστει πολλά προβλήματα υγείας και Οικονομικη καταστροφή αλλα δεν το έβαλε κατω.Συνέχισε να βοηθάει και να πιστεύει στον γιο της.Η ιστορία της θα πρέπει να διαβαστεί απ όλους όχι μόνο για την σπανιότητα της περίπτωσης αλλά και για το γεγονός ότι δίνονται τραγικά στοιχεία για το σύστημα εκπαίδευσης και Υγείας στην Αμερική αλλά και για την οικονομική κρίση που έπληξε την χώρα.Δηλαδή μπροστά στην αμερικανική κρίση η δική μας είναι παιδική χαρά.Παρόλο που ο γιος της ήταν αναγνωρισμένη μεγαλοφυΐα από διδάκτορες και κορυφαίους αστροφυσικός τα έξοδα για σπουδές και βιβλία ήταν τεράστια.Μόνο όταν έγινε διάσημος στην τηλεόραση σταμάτησαν τα οικονομικά προβλήματα.Πραγματικά συγκλονιστικό βιβλίο
June 15, 2014
When I started this book I really liked it. However halfway through I got so tired of hearing her give herself pats on the back I couldn't believe anything else she wrote. One chapter she wrote about how multiple children came to her and because they had been problems for their parents, within minutes she could see with their spark and changed their lives forever.
I'm sure she was an incredible woman when it came to what she was doing, but I find it hard to believe that only after 10 minutes with an autistic 11-year-old she was able to do something for him that all the experts and his own parents could not.
I decided I did not want to second guess each word she wrote and quit the book.
I'm sure she was an incredible woman when it came to what she was doing, but I find it hard to believe that only after 10 minutes with an autistic 11-year-old she was able to do something for him that all the experts and his own parents could not.
I decided I did not want to second guess each word she wrote and quit the book.
September 18, 2020
The only worth this book has is as an example of what not to do.
Her message that children will thrive when allowed to do what they love is great and definitely a message that needs to be said. I like her treehouse analogy--if a kid is in a treehouse, who's he going to listen to--the one that says "come down right now and learn how to tie your shoes" or the one that says "this is a great treehouse, let's learn about treehouses."
However, Kristine is just... WOW. She portrays herself as so perfect, so angelic, so infinitely generous with her sons and her daycare kids. Her husband is saintly and the perfect father. Everything bad happens to them, but never could they do a single thing wrong. They are inhumanly righteous. But this perfect, persevering couple is now divorced, being sued for child abandonment, and will forever bear the infamy of leaving a dependent on her own while they moved to Canada. Even if her story around the abandonment is true (and what story sold to the Daily Mail is true?), it was phenomenally mishandled and all her credibility as a responsible and ethical person is destroyed with no hope of repair.
She never says this outright, but under her narrative lies the message that SHE is responsible for her son's savant genius. This is sickening to me. Mothers are hard enough on themselves without the message that if they had done more with their child, had they seen their "spark" and nurtured it more, if they had just done what came so easily and so naturally to her, their kids would be geniuses without struggles. Her constant discrediting of the autism and child development experts is also very dangerous. Portraying IEPs as demeaning (and saying "special ed" in such a derogatory, spiteful way) is hurtful and wrong to the nearly 7 million children who depend on IEPs for the help they need and the educators who have dedicated their lives to helping these children. It's just sickening to think of this book being recommended to people who are already struggling with their child's diagnosis and increased needs.
Her message that children will thrive when allowed to do what they love is great and definitely a message that needs to be said. I like her treehouse analogy--if a kid is in a treehouse, who's he going to listen to--the one that says "come down right now and learn how to tie your shoes" or the one that says "this is a great treehouse, let's learn about treehouses."
However, Kristine is just... WOW. She portrays herself as so perfect, so angelic, so infinitely generous with her sons and her daycare kids. Her husband is saintly and the perfect father. Everything bad happens to them, but never could they do a single thing wrong. They are inhumanly righteous. But this perfect, persevering couple is now divorced, being sued for child abandonment, and will forever bear the infamy of leaving a dependent on her own while they moved to Canada. Even if her story around the abandonment is true (and what story sold to the Daily Mail is true?), it was phenomenally mishandled and all her credibility as a responsible and ethical person is destroyed with no hope of repair.
She never says this outright, but under her narrative lies the message that SHE is responsible for her son's savant genius. This is sickening to me. Mothers are hard enough on themselves without the message that if they had done more with their child, had they seen their "spark" and nurtured it more, if they had just done what came so easily and so naturally to her, their kids would be geniuses without struggles. Her constant discrediting of the autism and child development experts is also very dangerous. Portraying IEPs as demeaning (and saying "special ed" in such a derogatory, spiteful way) is hurtful and wrong to the nearly 7 million children who depend on IEPs for the help they need and the educators who have dedicated their lives to helping these children. It's just sickening to think of this book being recommended to people who are already struggling with their child's diagnosis and increased needs.
January 2, 2024
The author has not only lied about her advocacy for kids but she is a child abuser. Barnett also ripped off the plot of the movie Orphan, re-aging her adopted daughter with special needs so that she and her husband would no longer be financially responsible for the child. Notice there is no mention of Natalia in the book. She took out mention of the adoption because it would tarnish the image of her family and her brand.
July 16, 2013
Well. The author is not a career author or writer, she was a mom with an interesting story to tell, so I'll give her that. That being said though, the writing does grate on me. This book is a memoir so obviously it is told first person. I think if done right it can be fascinating to live out others' experiences and thoughts. She had a very bland writing style and told events that seemed very interesting in a very one note way. "This happened. I felt _______. I did this." For example, she pretty much knew the moment she met her husband she wanted to break up with her current boyfriend and marry him---this man she had just met! To me that is an amazing and rare thing and yet she pretty much told it about just as blandly as I just did. This really made for a blah reading experience. I felt I knew what happened to their family, and their general outline of each of them as people. But I didn't feel like I REALLY knew them. I didn't get lost in her life as I have in other memoirs. Everything she wrote felt very on the surface of things. Again, I know she is not a professional writer, but couldn't she have gotten some help to make it more detailed, personal, etc...?
I was also flat out baffled and annoyed by some of the decisions she made. Their house is flooded and ruined, and they still have to sadly pay the mortgage on it. She is lamenting on how broke they are, which obviously sucks, but then they go and buy a brand new, amazing house. That was never really explained. Is she just a dip? I am only 26 but that seemed insane to me. Obviously that's her life choice so whatever, but definitely had me re-reading that line, then sitting there in stunned disbelief.
She was also a little self-righteous. There were times she brought up good qualities of hers or her family's and then would immediately do this sheepish, falsely humble thing. She kept dropping the fact how kind and generous they are. For example, they don't like to give gifts at Christmas and really focus on giving to the poor. I wouldn't begrudge anyone that. I think that is all an example we should aspire to. But I kind of feel the second you bring it up, it becomes less about the kind act and more about you. It would be one thing if these stories served a point to the narrative or if she was trying to educate others how to help a certain charity, but sometimes they seemed just completely mentioned for no reason other than to make her look better.
She was also very self-righteous about Jake's education. She was clearly right in some of the educational choices she made for him and I don't want to take away from that. I also think what she did with her special education day care was amazing, especially since she didn't seem to have a background in education--it took a lot of guts. There were also teachers and therapists who I couldn't believe in the book, Being a teacher, I can't imagine telling a parent to give up on a kid learning the alphabet or anything, really. Students are so young and we have so much time to reach them!
However, at times I thought she had a bad attitude. When she refused to even be a part of Jake's IEP, I thought that was rude. Worse than that, she could send the wrong message to any parents reading the book who are trying to find their own path in raising an autistic or special needs child. An IEP does not mean Jake is stupid. It means he has specific needs (social needs can be addressed there and programs put in place to help with that---a problem she admitted he had?!) that will be better served with MORE ATTENTION and input from all staff members involved. She made them out to be a negative thing. It bothered me when she didn't give teachers a shot. Clearly Jake shouldn't have stayed with his age kids much longer, and I agree with him going to college. But I disagree with her holier than thou attitude over all the teachers in the book, and let's remember a lot of this was before he was found to be a genius.
The star of the book is clearly Jake, and despite all my complaints, his story is why I am giving the book three stars. It is so fascinating to consider his mind and how incredibly quickly it progresses and masters things compared to ours. I really wish the book talked more about him than her and the whole family and the day care, as cruel as that sounds. There were parts of their family life that was interesting, but overall I just wanted more Jake. Either that, or she could've gotten help with her writing skills to improve the book as a whole.
That all being said, I would still recommend the book to anyone based on Jake's story. It is worth hearing.
I was also flat out baffled and annoyed by some of the decisions she made. Their house is flooded and ruined, and they still have to sadly pay the mortgage on it. She is lamenting on how broke they are, which obviously sucks, but then they go and buy a brand new, amazing house. That was never really explained. Is she just a dip? I am only 26 but that seemed insane to me. Obviously that's her life choice so whatever, but definitely had me re-reading that line, then sitting there in stunned disbelief.
She was also a little self-righteous. There were times she brought up good qualities of hers or her family's and then would immediately do this sheepish, falsely humble thing. She kept dropping the fact how kind and generous they are. For example, they don't like to give gifts at Christmas and really focus on giving to the poor. I wouldn't begrudge anyone that. I think that is all an example we should aspire to. But I kind of feel the second you bring it up, it becomes less about the kind act and more about you. It would be one thing if these stories served a point to the narrative or if she was trying to educate others how to help a certain charity, but sometimes they seemed just completely mentioned for no reason other than to make her look better.
She was also very self-righteous about Jake's education. She was clearly right in some of the educational choices she made for him and I don't want to take away from that. I also think what she did with her special education day care was amazing, especially since she didn't seem to have a background in education--it took a lot of guts. There were also teachers and therapists who I couldn't believe in the book, Being a teacher, I can't imagine telling a parent to give up on a kid learning the alphabet or anything, really. Students are so young and we have so much time to reach them!
However, at times I thought she had a bad attitude. When she refused to even be a part of Jake's IEP, I thought that was rude. Worse than that, she could send the wrong message to any parents reading the book who are trying to find their own path in raising an autistic or special needs child. An IEP does not mean Jake is stupid. It means he has specific needs (social needs can be addressed there and programs put in place to help with that---a problem she admitted he had?!) that will be better served with MORE ATTENTION and input from all staff members involved. She made them out to be a negative thing. It bothered me when she didn't give teachers a shot. Clearly Jake shouldn't have stayed with his age kids much longer, and I agree with him going to college. But I disagree with her holier than thou attitude over all the teachers in the book, and let's remember a lot of this was before he was found to be a genius.
The star of the book is clearly Jake, and despite all my complaints, his story is why I am giving the book three stars. It is so fascinating to consider his mind and how incredibly quickly it progresses and masters things compared to ours. I really wish the book talked more about him than her and the whole family and the day care, as cruel as that sounds. There were parts of their family life that was interesting, but overall I just wanted more Jake. Either that, or she could've gotten help with her writing skills to improve the book as a whole.
That all being said, I would still recommend the book to anyone based on Jake's story. It is worth hearing.
September 13, 2013
Interesting story about a truly phenomenal young man. The author's persistently naive take on her son's extraordinary abilities, however, came off as a misguided (and frequently irritating) attempt at modesty.
September 10, 2015
Dumb error after dumb error, I can't stand it. On page 173: "Jake and I looked it up: chili was invented during the great depression of the 1930s as a way to stretch a little bit of meat." Seriously??
The kid is obviously a genius, but I'm beginning to wonder whether the mother is a pathological liar or just dumb as a pile of bricks. And I have to think that the factual inconsistencies would drive Jake nuts.
The author spends so much time praising herself in a gratingly-phony aw-shucks manner, while displaying her complete failure to understand language development in children, and child development in general. Is Jake bright? Yes. A genius? Most likely. On the spectrum? There is no real evidence of that, just a few anecdotes from an eye-witness who happily makes up whatever facts she considers most flattering to herself.
This book clearly never fell under the eye of an editor or fact-checker. What a scam.
The kid is obviously a genius, but I'm beginning to wonder whether the mother is a pathological liar or just dumb as a pile of bricks. And I have to think that the factual inconsistencies would drive Jake nuts.
The author spends so much time praising herself in a gratingly-phony aw-shucks manner, while displaying her complete failure to understand language development in children, and child development in general. Is Jake bright? Yes. A genius? Most likely. On the spectrum? There is no real evidence of that, just a few anecdotes from an eye-witness who happily makes up whatever facts she considers most flattering to herself.
This book clearly never fell under the eye of an editor or fact-checker. What a scam.
August 18, 2023
I didn’t like this book in 2018. The mom just seemed so…i don’t know, boastful, braggy, full of herself and almost took every bit of her sons success as her own. It didn’t sit right with me, but hey, that’s just my opinion and maybe it’s a wrong opinion.
Until, I saw the documentary on TV about Natalia Grace. This is the same family??? This is THAT mom?? Oh of course it is! It all makes so much sense now.
My opinion was pretty accurate after all.
Until, I saw the documentary on TV about Natalia Grace. This is the same family??? This is THAT mom?? Oh of course it is! It all makes so much sense now.
My opinion was pretty accurate after all.
July 26, 2013
Very turned off by the overly dramatic beginning. Once I muddled through that, I just got s false sense of importance. I wish they would have detailed the extraordinary child rather than the mother.
December 4, 2013
Don't let the 3 star rating discourage you from reading this one. I will explain the rating below. This book is an amazing story about how a mother of an autistic boy fought the advice of medical experts and triumphed. She was told her son would probably never read. She saw more in him than the experts could see and she sought to bring out the best in him. It worked. She also shared her "method" with other families with autistic children with very good results. Her son turned out to be an amazing genius who was in grad school in Astro-Physics at the age of 11.
The Rating.
I wanted so much for this story to be about Jake Barnett - Autistic Genius. It was but, it was about much more. The story included how his Mom and Dad worked constantly to help find Jake when he was almost lost within himself. So much of the story was about the obstacles that the entire Barnett family faced during Jake's Childhood. I agree that this is an important part of the story and could not be left out. However, early in the book I kept getting the sense that the story being told seemed out of proportion. I felt that I was being told a tall tale from time to time but I moved on. Then on page 172 the chapter titled Dark Times described in detail how desperate things were for all families in Indiana during the start of the recession. The author (Kristine Barnett) describes a world that did not fit the facts. She is writing about Indiana in 2008. A lot of people were out of work - that is true, still is. Her husband, Mike, lost his job and so did many in their neighborhood. Barnett claimed that she believed that almost 50% of the people in Indiana were out of work. Not actually true. Then there was this paragraph on page 174:
" . . . Many people around us burned old tables and chairs for heat. A lot of people didn't have electricity, and the people who did weren't using it. Every house was dark. There were no lights on anywhere. I remember walking through Walmart, the aisles cleared of everything except necessities: camping gear, coffee, fire logs, lighter fluid, water, cheap electric blankets for those without heat - and beer. The store didn't bother to stock anything else. It looked like an army surplus store."
This one paragraph was evidence enough for me to understand that Barnett writes through her own eyes. I am certain that this is what her world looked like in 2008 from her point of view. The rest of us could buy anything we wanted in Walmart because it was all there on the shelves. I don't know of anyone who burned furniture. I live in Indiana in a neighborhood just like the one she described as her own. It was at this point in the book that I realized that the author is such an emotionally charged person that she can not simply state the facts with accuracy. Accuracy would not convey the emotion that she has in each memory, so she shapes the story to carry the emotions as well as the facts.
I think that warping the facts in this case was distracting for me. I am sorry that the author found it necessary to write her story this way. It is still a book that is very much worth reading. Barnett's success in helping autistic children is just as amazing as her mega-genius son.
The Rating.
I wanted so much for this story to be about Jake Barnett - Autistic Genius. It was but, it was about much more. The story included how his Mom and Dad worked constantly to help find Jake when he was almost lost within himself. So much of the story was about the obstacles that the entire Barnett family faced during Jake's Childhood. I agree that this is an important part of the story and could not be left out. However, early in the book I kept getting the sense that the story being told seemed out of proportion. I felt that I was being told a tall tale from time to time but I moved on. Then on page 172 the chapter titled Dark Times described in detail how desperate things were for all families in Indiana during the start of the recession. The author (Kristine Barnett) describes a world that did not fit the facts. She is writing about Indiana in 2008. A lot of people were out of work - that is true, still is. Her husband, Mike, lost his job and so did many in their neighborhood. Barnett claimed that she believed that almost 50% of the people in Indiana were out of work. Not actually true. Then there was this paragraph on page 174:
" . . . Many people around us burned old tables and chairs for heat. A lot of people didn't have electricity, and the people who did weren't using it. Every house was dark. There were no lights on anywhere. I remember walking through Walmart, the aisles cleared of everything except necessities: camping gear, coffee, fire logs, lighter fluid, water, cheap electric blankets for those without heat - and beer. The store didn't bother to stock anything else. It looked like an army surplus store."
This one paragraph was evidence enough for me to understand that Barnett writes through her own eyes. I am certain that this is what her world looked like in 2008 from her point of view. The rest of us could buy anything we wanted in Walmart because it was all there on the shelves. I don't know of anyone who burned furniture. I live in Indiana in a neighborhood just like the one she described as her own. It was at this point in the book that I realized that the author is such an emotionally charged person that she can not simply state the facts with accuracy. Accuracy would not convey the emotion that she has in each memory, so she shapes the story to carry the emotions as well as the facts.
I think that warping the facts in this case was distracting for me. I am sorry that the author found it necessary to write her story this way. It is still a book that is very much worth reading. Barnett's success in helping autistic children is just as amazing as her mega-genius son.
March 20, 2013
When I received an an advance copy of The Spark: A Mother’s Story of Nurturing Genius, I expected it to be a read like other similar books of parents and children who have found a way to conquer the limitations that autism sometimes places on children who have received the diagnosis. I have read many of these books, and all of them have been inspiring, interesting and have been passed on to others who might have an interest in the topic.
This book is more. If it were in my power to put it into the hands of every person on the planet, I would do so. Parents, children, teachers, neighbors, friends of families who have received this daunting news need to know about this boy, and his family. His mother was gently told to take away his alphabet cards, because they were really worried about him learning to simply tie his shoes, or even to speak. Sadly, I have seen families who received similar news and believed it.
Even more sadly I have seen educators buy into the myth that children with autism are the autism, and often unteachable. I have even seen teachers expect a child with autism to "get over" their individual sensitivities and "get used" to teaching methods that would put many typical children into a tailspin. Bright flickering lights, loud voices in a classroom, and the expectation that all children learn in the same way. This is not true for any child, typical or one with a diagnosis. We are individuals, and we have individual ways of learning. This small detail eludes far too many experts and educators. In this way, we are often failing our children.
One extraordinary woman, from an extraordinary family was able to look at her own small boy, and know in her heart, her soul and in every way possible that the so called experts were wrong. She pulled her son from the special need classroom to which he had been assigned. The one with the teacher who had a sympathetic smile. And she changed his world. Furthermore, she changed the world for many, many other children who faced similar obstacles to those faced by her little boy.
Kristine is just a mom, a mom with passion and love and great expectations. She her husband and family don't have a lot of money, and they didn't even have a lot of help, particularly in the beginning. But they did have passion, and they believed in their son, their family and in each other. Kristine also had instincts, good ones, and enough faith in herself to follow them. And she made miracles happen. MIracles within her own family and for other families, too. And she made things happen agains such insurmountable seeming odds, that I dare say that you will have a new perspective on a bad day once you have read her story.
Not every Child is a Jacob Barnett. He has an IQ that is higher than that of Albert Einstein. So not every child with a diagnosis will reach the same heights as Jake. But Kristine has the unique ability, the empathy to find the passion in others. The spark that will set them on their own pat to success. Their own success. She also has the wisdom to know that love and family, time and play are vital to these, and to every family.
Read this book.
This book is more. If it were in my power to put it into the hands of every person on the planet, I would do so. Parents, children, teachers, neighbors, friends of families who have received this daunting news need to know about this boy, and his family. His mother was gently told to take away his alphabet cards, because they were really worried about him learning to simply tie his shoes, or even to speak. Sadly, I have seen families who received similar news and believed it.
Even more sadly I have seen educators buy into the myth that children with autism are the autism, and often unteachable. I have even seen teachers expect a child with autism to "get over" their individual sensitivities and "get used" to teaching methods that would put many typical children into a tailspin. Bright flickering lights, loud voices in a classroom, and the expectation that all children learn in the same way. This is not true for any child, typical or one with a diagnosis. We are individuals, and we have individual ways of learning. This small detail eludes far too many experts and educators. In this way, we are often failing our children.
One extraordinary woman, from an extraordinary family was able to look at her own small boy, and know in her heart, her soul and in every way possible that the so called experts were wrong. She pulled her son from the special need classroom to which he had been assigned. The one with the teacher who had a sympathetic smile. And she changed his world. Furthermore, she changed the world for many, many other children who faced similar obstacles to those faced by her little boy.
Kristine is just a mom, a mom with passion and love and great expectations. She her husband and family don't have a lot of money, and they didn't even have a lot of help, particularly in the beginning. But they did have passion, and they believed in their son, their family and in each other. Kristine also had instincts, good ones, and enough faith in herself to follow them. And she made miracles happen. MIracles within her own family and for other families, too. And she made things happen agains such insurmountable seeming odds, that I dare say that you will have a new perspective on a bad day once you have read her story.
Not every Child is a Jacob Barnett. He has an IQ that is higher than that of Albert Einstein. So not every child with a diagnosis will reach the same heights as Jake. But Kristine has the unique ability, the empathy to find the passion in others. The spark that will set them on their own pat to success. Their own success. She also has the wisdom to know that love and family, time and play are vital to these, and to every family.
Read this book.
July 13, 2023
I can’t even describe how incredibly angry this book’s existence and books like it make me. Every child with autism is an individual and none of them need to be fixed. Saying they overcame obstacles is bizarre. Your child having autism isn’t an obstacle for a parent to ‘overcome’ ugh and the self righteousness of suggesting you are some miracle worker because you went against all advice and simply followed your child’s lead on their special interest? Absolutely obnoxious.
DNF 0 stars rounded up to 1 star because goodreads says that’s the lowest we can go.
That’s not even counting the crap that’s has come out in the years since she wrote this poor excuse for a book.
DNF 0 stars rounded up to 1 star because goodreads says that’s the lowest we can go.
That’s not even counting the crap that’s has come out in the years since she wrote this poor excuse for a book.
February 28, 2014
I would like to give caution before reading this book. The story of the son, Jacob, is compelling and unique. The problem is that story focuses more on the mother. As a parent of a child with autism I was hoping to see a real side of this family that I could relate to. Yet, The mother tells the story with an ere of self righteousness that it turned me off completely. She is so determined to paint the perfect picture of her life that she comes off as artificial. I admit that she did a lot for her community and family and I applaud that. Still, the book reads like a resume for "Greatest mom."
For example, at one point the story talks about her son answering a hard mathematical problem. The sentences reads, "He was, of course, right." Really? She could have just said, He was right. It is this kind of arrogance that really kept me from liking this book more.
For example, at one point the story talks about her son answering a hard mathematical problem. The sentences reads, "He was, of course, right." Really? She could have just said, He was right. It is this kind of arrogance that really kept me from liking this book more.
August 22, 2013
Some parts of the story were touching and Jacob is certainly a prodigy. Learning about him was the most interesting part of this book. My main problem with this book was that it felt like Mrs. Barnett was giving herself a real pat on the back. I felt that much of the book rang of a false sense of humbleness. I grew tired of hearing her list off every good deed she'd ever done. At times, the book read like a job interview. Personally I prefer the no holds barred approach of Jenny Lawson. Why? She has a sense of humour.
March 24, 2014
I expected a book about a smart kid, but the author waxes lyrical a lot about her religion! Could have been great, but too much digression from the core story and not well written
January 15, 2022
First Read: The Good Stuff - first of all, I'm not a mother, and have not been blessed with that most wonderful of all gifts. Wonderfully honest and truly inspiring.
Shows the power of a mother's faith and love for her son. I wanted to hug this women after reading all of the challenges she faced and how she kept going through it all. Strong message of hope and thinking outside of the box when dealing with special needs children. Really made me think it was refreshing to read a hopeful story about autism/Asperger's without the blame on how this happened - Just this is what happened & how we survive & thrive with it. She not only helps her child she helps others - that to me is a definition of a hero. Very readable. Nice to see the focus on the positive and not the negativity of her situation. She in a most smart way takes her means and focuses on how we can improve with the diagnosis of autism. Don't get lost in this process.
Also nice to read about the lighter moments. Focuses on the importance of play & that is good for every child. Also enjoyed the focus on the importance of community and charity
The Not so Good Stuff--Favorite Quotes/Passages
"It's one thing to support someone when you agree with him or her, but another thing entirely when you don't." "Autism is a thief. It takes your child away. It takes your hope away, and it robs you of your dreams."
Who Should/Shouldn't Read
A must read for any parent of a special needs child
Obviously one that parents of children with Autistic/Asperger's will get something out of
Anyone looking for a hopeful, positive and inspirational story
Honestly, every parent should read this and hopefully get the message that every child is different and we need to fight for them and help them find their "spark"
A member of my family - married to my nephew, has a brother that has been diagnosed. If you didn't know this young man, you would never know that he had any issues at all. He's a great guy, and the has a family that show love in many awesome ways. He's a lucky kid, and I really like him and his family. They are doing their best in helping him make good. Highly recommend.
Second Read: I just re-read this book for a second time. Amazing story and wonderful read. It is amazing that the two boys are quite a bit different, but we'll see what she has to say if she joins us. I've been very impressed with this book. The mother and father blew my mind away, and she even had a stroke during that time and overcame it. The father had a breakdown of sorts as well, and living in Indiana they had some unbelievable financial problems and it was amazing how difficult it was for them to rebuild. The community of all the many families they have helped rallied and really helped them rebuild their lives after fires and destruction. Whew. Kept blowing me away.
This book is written to give our family hope. Hope is somethings we call need in the hope spectrum.
It's one I have really appreciated and saw some value in the participants on so many many levels.
Happy reading and have a wonderful and High expectation of what is involved in expectations in the world of Autism. Good Luck!!!!
Shows the power of a mother's faith and love for her son. I wanted to hug this women after reading all of the challenges she faced and how she kept going through it all. Strong message of hope and thinking outside of the box when dealing with special needs children. Really made me think it was refreshing to read a hopeful story about autism/Asperger's without the blame on how this happened - Just this is what happened & how we survive & thrive with it. She not only helps her child she helps others - that to me is a definition of a hero. Very readable. Nice to see the focus on the positive and not the negativity of her situation. She in a most smart way takes her means and focuses on how we can improve with the diagnosis of autism. Don't get lost in this process.
Also nice to read about the lighter moments. Focuses on the importance of play & that is good for every child. Also enjoyed the focus on the importance of community and charity
The Not so Good Stuff--Favorite Quotes/Passages
"It's one thing to support someone when you agree with him or her, but another thing entirely when you don't." "Autism is a thief. It takes your child away. It takes your hope away, and it robs you of your dreams."
Who Should/Shouldn't Read
A must read for any parent of a special needs child
Obviously one that parents of children with Autistic/Asperger's will get something out of
Anyone looking for a hopeful, positive and inspirational story
Honestly, every parent should read this and hopefully get the message that every child is different and we need to fight for them and help them find their "spark"
A member of my family - married to my nephew, has a brother that has been diagnosed. If you didn't know this young man, you would never know that he had any issues at all. He's a great guy, and the has a family that show love in many awesome ways. He's a lucky kid, and I really like him and his family. They are doing their best in helping him make good. Highly recommend.
Second Read: I just re-read this book for a second time. Amazing story and wonderful read. It is amazing that the two boys are quite a bit different, but we'll see what she has to say if she joins us. I've been very impressed with this book. The mother and father blew my mind away, and she even had a stroke during that time and overcame it. The father had a breakdown of sorts as well, and living in Indiana they had some unbelievable financial problems and it was amazing how difficult it was for them to rebuild. The community of all the many families they have helped rallied and really helped them rebuild their lives after fires and destruction. Whew. Kept blowing me away.
This book is written to give our family hope. Hope is somethings we call need in the hope spectrum.
It's one I have really appreciated and saw some value in the participants on so many many levels.
Happy reading and have a wonderful and High expectation of what is involved in expectations in the world of Autism. Good Luck!!!!
February 3, 2013
Jake Barnett is certainly an interesting individual. I was very interested when I read about the 12 year old who has a higher IQ than Einstein. And in this book written buy his mother we get to read about his development and how he got where he is now. He was also diagnosed with autism when he was a small child and the doctors were even saying he may never be able to speak. In this book Kristine Barnett talks how this affected her family, how they were coping with his diagnosis and how Jake went from the kid he was to the one he is now.
The topic is very interesting. What I didn't like was Kristine Barnett's style of telling the story. It is full of cheesiness. Our family are fighters! We never give up! And some weird "humbleness". Like really lady, you want to tell me you really had no idea why people may be interested in your kid who is working on original theories at the age when kids struggle with something like Pythagorean theorem? There is just too much of it it in this book. I rather hear the real feelings and emotions than this pumped up motivational stuff.
I don't want to discredit her work though. Their family overcame a lot of obstacles, she did an amazing job as a mother and working with autistic kids. It is just that book writing is not what I see to be her strength.
All the best to their family, I am sure we will still hear about Jacob in the future since he has more than enough time and abilities to make amazing discoveries.
* I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads
The topic is very interesting. What I didn't like was Kristine Barnett's style of telling the story. It is full of cheesiness. Our family are fighters! We never give up! And some weird "humbleness". Like really lady, you want to tell me you really had no idea why people may be interested in your kid who is working on original theories at the age when kids struggle with something like Pythagorean theorem? There is just too much of it it in this book. I rather hear the real feelings and emotions than this pumped up motivational stuff.
I don't want to discredit her work though. Their family overcame a lot of obstacles, she did an amazing job as a mother and working with autistic kids. It is just that book writing is not what I see to be her strength.
All the best to their family, I am sure we will still hear about Jacob in the future since he has more than enough time and abilities to make amazing discoveries.
* I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads
April 26, 2018
A book about autism and genius and I am giving it 2 stars? Let me explain. What the book does well is explain what it feels like to be a parent that has an autism diagnosis. It also explains the feelings of being overwhelmed by having a gifted child. For my Christian friends, there is a strong current of service to others and giving of yourself that makes me want to add another star. The takeaway here is the book does feelings well.
The list of what bothered is longer so buckle up. The writing needs editing which bothers me greatly in a traditionally published book that at one point had movie rights purchased. The author writes very stream of consciousness and appears to want the world to congratulate her on raising a child prodigy. The details are sometimes sketchy and often just flat out wrong. No, a 2 year old cannot be administered the WISC, age norms start at age 6. Early intervention would not be trained in administering anyway and certainly not extended norms. The explanation of the Stanford Binet is accurate and the explanation of the scores match what I know as a psychologist. Maybe the details about his toddler and preschool years were vague, but again this is an issue that should have been caught in editing. Her ability to constantly buy stuff for almost no money seemed a fit far fetched. The amount of hours she purported her son to do therapy, All provided for free by the state around the time of 2000 made me roll my eyes. I would like any autism parent who has had state early intervention provide 40 hours a week of ABA to raise their hand. Still waiting.....plus speech 3x a week, OT, PT multiple times a week. Then she purported to do Floortime with a therapist provided by the state but the program she developed in the book is just Floortime. It had me rolling my eyes and scratching my head. The description of education left me scratching my head, especially his grade school teachers not identifying his giftedness and the school pushing an IEP. I would throw a party if they were willing to provide an IEP for my genius son with autism.
If you want a feel good book with a Christian message about autism, I would recommend with the poor editing caveat. If you want to read about what works for twice exceptional kids, I would look elsewhere.
The list of what bothered is longer so buckle up. The writing needs editing which bothers me greatly in a traditionally published book that at one point had movie rights purchased. The author writes very stream of consciousness and appears to want the world to congratulate her on raising a child prodigy. The details are sometimes sketchy and often just flat out wrong. No, a 2 year old cannot be administered the WISC, age norms start at age 6. Early intervention would not be trained in administering anyway and certainly not extended norms. The explanation of the Stanford Binet is accurate and the explanation of the scores match what I know as a psychologist. Maybe the details about his toddler and preschool years were vague, but again this is an issue that should have been caught in editing. Her ability to constantly buy stuff for almost no money seemed a fit far fetched. The amount of hours she purported her son to do therapy, All provided for free by the state around the time of 2000 made me roll my eyes. I would like any autism parent who has had state early intervention provide 40 hours a week of ABA to raise their hand. Still waiting.....plus speech 3x a week, OT, PT multiple times a week. Then she purported to do Floortime with a therapist provided by the state but the program she developed in the book is just Floortime. It had me rolling my eyes and scratching my head. The description of education left me scratching my head, especially his grade school teachers not identifying his giftedness and the school pushing an IEP. I would throw a party if they were willing to provide an IEP for my genius son with autism.
If you want a feel good book with a Christian message about autism, I would recommend with the poor editing caveat. If you want to read about what works for twice exceptional kids, I would look elsewhere.
March 6, 2022
#رحلات2022
#الشرارة
"الشرارة...رحلة أم على الحد الفاصل بين التوحد والعبقرية"
تجربة إنسانية فريدة من نوعها عاشتها"كريستين" التي رزقت بإبنها البكر بطريقة طبيعية، وبعد شهور وبفطرة الأم وملاحظات الجدة بدأت تلاحظ بعض العلامات الغريبة على وحيدها، بحكم خبرتها السابقة من عملها ك جليسة أطفال كان الفحص السريع، والتشخيص الطبي بإصابة"جاكوب" بالتوحد، وكان الإختيار الصعب للأم، هل تستلم لتشخيص الأطباء رغم ثقتها في كفائتهم؟؟ هل تكتفي بزيارات المختصين لولدها والعلاج الطبي المكثف؟؟هل تستلم لحكم الجميع على "جاكوب" بأن أقصى ما يمكنه الطموح إليه هو مجرد معرفة الأبجدية والحركة بمعاناة شديدة وبعد سنوات؟؟
أم تقاوم كل المحبطات، تتبع غريزتها التي تحدثها بأن ولدها يملك مهارات خاصة، وأن بعينيه شرارة عبقرية، وأنه فقط يحتاج المزيد من الصبر والمزيد من التضحية؟؟
واختارت كريستين غريزتها، بدأت رحلتها مع ولدها، رحلة مليئة بالصعاب، فلم يكن التحدي الأول هو إقناع الجميع بقدرات ولدها، بل بدأت الصعوبة في التواصل مع "جاكوب" نفسه، ثم كان تحدي دخول المدرسة للحاق بدرب التعليم، والعديد من التحديات
فهل كان الدرب سهلاً؟؟؟
على الإطلاق
صعوبات متتالية، وتحديدات لا تنتهي سردتها "كريستين" بعذوبة على مدار الكتاب، لم تبخل بخطوة واحدة من شأنها أن تنير الدرب لأم بعدها تسير على نفس المنوال، فكانت الحكاية من البداية وخطوات التواصل مع جاكوب، رحلة العلاج الدوائي، المهارات الحركية في كل خطوة، والنتائج أولاً بأول
استغلت الأم كل ما تعلمته في دراستها، استعانت بالجميع سواء أسرتها أو أهالي أصدقاء أولادها، طرقت جميع الأبواب من أجل بكرها، فهل كانت النتيجة لصالحها؟؟
في الكتاب نتعرف على "جاكوب" الطفل المصاب بالتوحد، رحلة أم آمنت به، فكانت النتيجة أنه أصبح طالباً جماعياً في سن ال12 عاماً، في عيد ميلاده الخامس عشر تم قبوله بمعهد بريمتيرللفيزياء المتقدمة، كأصغر من تم قبوله على الإطلاق في برنامج العلماء الدوليون
رحلة مليئة بالتحديات، لحظات صعبة، لحظات بهجة عارمة
دمعت عيناي مع أول كلمات"جاكوب" بعد فترة صمت امتدت لسنوات، شعرت بالحماسة مع أول خطواته في الجامعة، بكيت من كل قلبي حينما فقد صديقه الحميم، اشتعل قلبي حماساً مع خطواته الأولى في معهد بريمير
كريستين...أم إستثنائية لطفل إستثنائي
كتاب رائع...ملهم...بترجمة ممتازة من"عبدالرحمن الفدح السيد"
#الكتاب_رقم17
#سيرة_ذاتية
#تجربة-إنسانية_فريدة
17/120
11-فبراير
#الشرارة
"الشرارة...رحلة أم على الحد الفاصل بين التوحد والعبقرية"
تجربة إنسانية فريدة من نوعها عاشتها"كريستين" التي رزقت بإبنها البكر بطريقة طبيعية، وبعد شهور وبفطرة الأم وملاحظات الجدة بدأت تلاحظ بعض العلامات الغريبة على وحيدها، بحكم خبرتها السابقة من عملها ك جليسة أطفال كان الفحص السريع، والتشخيص الطبي بإصابة"جاكوب" بالتوحد، وكان الإختيار الصعب للأم، هل تستلم لتشخيص الأطباء رغم ثقتها في كفائتهم؟؟ هل تكتفي بزيارات المختصين لولدها والعلاج الطبي المكثف؟؟هل تستلم لحكم الجميع على "جاكوب" بأن أقصى ما يمكنه الطموح إليه هو مجرد معرفة الأبجدية والحركة بمعاناة شديدة وبعد سنوات؟؟
أم تقاوم كل المحبطات، تتبع غريزتها التي تحدثها بأن ولدها يملك مهارات خاصة، وأن بعينيه شرارة عبقرية، وأنه فقط يحتاج المزيد من الصبر والمزيد من التضحية؟؟
واختارت كريستين غريزتها، بدأت رحلتها مع ولدها، رحلة مليئة بالصعاب، فلم يكن التحدي الأول هو إقناع الجميع بقدرات ولدها، بل بدأت الصعوبة في التواصل مع "جاكوب" نفسه، ثم كان تحدي دخول المدرسة للحاق بدرب التعليم، والعديد من التحديات
فهل كان الدرب سهلاً؟؟؟
على الإطلاق
صعوبات متتالية، وتحديدات لا تنتهي سردتها "كريستين" بعذوبة على مدار الكتاب، لم تبخل بخطوة واحدة من شأنها أن تنير الدرب لأم بعدها تسير على نفس المنوال، فكانت الحكاية من البداية وخطوات التواصل مع جاكوب، رحلة العلاج الدوائي، المهارات الحركية في كل خطوة، والنتائج أولاً بأول
استغلت الأم كل ما تعلمته في دراستها، استعانت بالجميع سواء أسرتها أو أهالي أصدقاء أولادها، طرقت جميع الأبواب من أجل بكرها، فهل كانت النتيجة لصالحها؟؟
في الكتاب نتعرف على "جاكوب" الطفل المصاب بالتوحد، رحلة أم آمنت به، فكانت النتيجة أنه أصبح طالباً جماعياً في سن ال12 عاماً، في عيد ميلاده الخامس عشر تم قبوله بمعهد بريمتيرللفيزياء المتقدمة، كأصغر من تم قبوله على الإطلاق في برنامج العلماء الدوليون
رحلة مليئة بالتحديات، لحظات صعبة، لحظات بهجة عارمة
دمعت عيناي مع أول كلمات"جاكوب" بعد فترة صمت امتدت لسنوات، شعرت بالحماسة مع أول خطواته في الجامعة، بكيت من كل قلبي حينما فقد صديقه الحميم، اشتعل قلبي حماساً مع خطواته الأولى في معهد بريمير
كريستين...أم إستثنائية لطفل إستثنائي
كتاب رائع...ملهم...بترجمة ممتازة من"عبدالرحمن الفدح السيد"
#الكتاب_رقم17
#سيرة_ذاتية
#تجربة-إنسانية_فريدة
17/120
11-فبراير
March 20, 2015
I really expected to hate this book. Or at least, to be fairly unmoved by it. The first few chapters did nothing to disabuse me of that notion, as they felt like too rounded a tale. All the edges seemed to have been filed off, making a story that was palatable for what people wanted to hear about autism, or about life with a child with a disability, or just, quite frankly, feel-good, glad-it's-not-me pablum.
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
October 1, 2013
I loved this book. It was not perfectly written and sometimes it went off on a tangent to places I was not sure I wanted to go, but I love the message that no-one is a lost cause ... in fact it can be the extreme opposite for those who seem the most unlikely. It has casued me to look at my autsitic son in a different way and think of noew ways of helping him. I wish I had the author's energy and support.
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