Embracing the Autism Spectrum: Finding Joy & Hope Navigating the NeuroDiver: A faith integrated guide from personal and professional experience

by Stephanie C. Holmes, Sydney Holmes, Erica Holmes

In 'Embracing the Autism Finding Joy & Hope Navigating the NeuroDiverse Family Journey,' Dr. Stephanie C. Holmes invites readers on a transformative journey into the realm of neurodiversity. Whether you're a family living with autism, an educator seeking to enhance your inclusive practices, or a dedicated advocate, this book offers invaluable insights and strategies to promote healthy neurodiverse marriages and families.

Drawing from her background as a former licensed professional counselor (LPC), an ordained minister, an author, and a certified autism specialist, Dr. Holmes weaves a narrative that bridges the gap between personal experience and professional expertise. She earned her bachelor's degree in psychology from Campbell University, her Master's in counseling from Liberty University, and her doctorate in education from Abilene Christian University, equipping her with a deep understanding of the complexities of neurodiversity.

As a mother whose world shifted when her daughter Sydney was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, Dr. Holmes transitioned from a thriving marriage and family therapy practice to a mission of advocating for neurodiverse individuals. This book encapsulates her journey, offering practical guidance for families moving from merely surviving to thriving.

'Embracing the Autism Spectrum' is not only a resource for families but also an eye-opening guide for educators and Christian leaders. Dr. Holmes and her family shed light on the unique challenges and complexities that neurodiverse families face, enabling educators and leaders to serve every member of their communities more effectively and inclusively.
Throughout the book, readers will find hindsight learning, spiritual devotion, and moments of reflection to assess their own journeys. Dr. Holmes' wealth of knowledge, coupled with her heartfelt commitment to autism advocacy, provides a beacon of hope and understanding for anyone touched by neurodiversity. This is the first book of its kind to share autism and faith from each family member's perspective!

428 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 1, 2023

Reviews

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 // Stephanie and Dan continue to be the most helpful Christian voices I’ve found out there on the topic of neurodiversity and how it impacts the family.

This book is detailed and lengthy. Each chapter has a “Stephanie” POV and a “Dan” POV, and then their grown daughters provide their own perspectives toward the end of the book. Each chapter also concludes with an excerpt of scripture to meditate on, questions to prompt the reader to examine their own situation, and action steps/resources are included in the appendices.

I appreciated the Holmes’ humility and vulnerability in sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly of their faith journey. They kept it real and relatable, and pushed back on harmful messaging in Christian culture that’s often dished out to people who are suffering in the trenches of life. These devotional sections were not trite. They were written by people who had walked through hell and yet kept their eyes on Jesus.

The Holmes family has many layers to their story. This book is focused almost exclusively as a resource for parents of kids with autism and/or ADHD. Dan comments on their marriage tangentially throughout the book, and then the last chapter is a quick overview of their relationship. It sounds like they plan to write a separate book just focused on their marriage. I would be super interested in having that resource.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Based on the title and description of the book, I was expecting something different, so this was a bit of a mismatch in expectations for me. I was hoping for something more informational in terms of skills and strategies for helping neurodiverse Christian families live together well. Instead, it’s essentially a memoir of this family’s journey through the difficulties of school systems that did not understand an autistic kid, and in fact, actually really damaged trust with her. I found the parents’ separate perspectives helpful in that it shows how their (as yet unknown) neurodiverse marriage impacted their journey, and I also loved that both the autistic and non-autistic sisters both shared their perspectives as adults on what their childhood was like. Some of the articles at the end were really helpful too. Just wish the description was clearer about what the book actually is, because I bought it hoping to meet a certain need that it didn’t really meet.

Also, there were a fair number of editing errors, which was distracting at a few points.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

The structure of this book was not intuitive for me. I prefer a neat, chronological flow. But the insights this book contains are invaluable. Especially the perspective of a daughter/sibling of someone with autism because I have been so laser-focused on helping my autistic children, that I absolutely made the same errors this family had in almost “using” this child as a family helper/peacemaker. The articles at the end on teens were gold. I have been “special interest” level studying autism since my son was diagnosed a year and a half ago as a 16 yr old, and learned a lot of new things. And finally, the Christian perspective - what a breath of fresh air!! So thankful this book was written and I really look forward to their neurodivergent marriage book they are working on…our family needs it ALL.