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There's A Boy In Here, Revised edition: A other and son tell the story of his emergence from the bonds of autism
Updated and Revised Edition! There's A Boy In Here provides an insightful view from inside the mind of a person with autism. Today, Sean Barron is a public speaker, journalist, and close to his family. This insightful story tells you how he was able to become a successful journalist, have a strong relationship with his girlfriend and live a full and independent life. This dual autobiography is written in point-counterpoint style by Sean and his mother, Judy. Together, they chronicle his young life and the effects of autism on him and his family. As a young person, Sean was confrontational, isolated, and unhappy. Baffled about how to interact with others, he felt “like an alien from outer space.” This book shows you what happened from Judy’s point of view, then immediately what Sean himself was experiencing.
214 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1992
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1044 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
December 4, 2021
Breath taking book about autism…. The truth, the pain, the sarcasm, overreactions , the blindness, and every thing you need to know about living with autism is here!!! And I am warning you cause this book will go deep down under your skin.
March 12, 2008
I found an old copy of this book at a little thrift store. It intrigued me because I have a child with special needs. It is a very powerful and insightful book detailing the journey of a family with a child with autism in the late 1960s - early 1970s. The book is written in parallel with the son, now grown, and the mom writing their memories of this difficult childhood. It is a wonderful story of victory over obstacles, perseverance through pain and opposition, and the emergence of one young man from the grips of autism.
November 26, 2007
As far as books go about autism... this is the best one. I met the author at a lecture he gave at the Rutgers DDDC. He has autism and functions on a much higher level than he did when he was a child. The book bounces back and forth telling stories from his childhood, first told by his mother, then the same story in his point of view. It makes you understand how something so bizarre to most people can be so completely "normal" to someone else.
November 17, 2022
This book is like everything... you feel the pain in every view. you go up and down, cry and laugh with this family while they are raising their child.
one of the best book I've ever read.
one of the best book I've ever read.
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May 10, 2024Kay Widen
Mariah Brown
AP Lang
7 May 2024
Book Review
There’s a Boy in Here by Judy and Sean Barron is a dual biography from a mother and autistic son’s perspective. The book is about Sean's experiences through childhood and beyond, the effects his autism diagnosis had on the family, and how they had tried to “help. Sean evidently grows up “coming out” of his diagnosis, convinced that he no longer needs to affiliate with it due to his discovery of masking.
The book was written within the 1960’s where little was known about autism, but that did not prevent psychologists from sharing their theories with the public. Many believed that autism was caused by the lack of love received from the mother, accusing her of being the foundation for the diagnosis. The most common recommended “treatments” included institutions and tranquilizers/other stimulants in order to quiet hyperactivity. It was believed that autistic children did not have a sense of reality. In the 1950’s doctors were confident that they had hallucinations, whereas in the 1960’s psychologists believed they weren’t conscious at all. These were all a part of Sean and Judy’s experience going through the journey of an unknowledgeable disability, impacting the way Judy felt as a mother and her drive to help her son.
The book was created for other autism parents and their children. Their journey implicates a false sense of hope as it focuses so heavily on the importance of “fixing” autism, inspiring parents to promote masking and unacceptance of their children. Which is portrayed through motifs from both mother and son’s perspective. Judy states “Their’s a real child in there, I thought. He’s trapped and we’ve got to get him out” (Barron 61). As Judy is unwilling to accept the fact that autism and her son are cohesive.
The book successfully promotes this misconception for the audience, starting by making a connection through their shared struggles to glorifying her and Sean’s “success story”. She attempts to get the audience to empathize with her and her hardships: “I had always thought that there was nothing worse than seeing one’s child in pain. But Sean’s compulsions, his strange behaviors, so clearly comforted him…the irony was that I was trying to force him out” (Barron 62). Her ability to display her emotions helps the reader see from her perspective, by doing so it helps the reader and Judy feel less alone. Although she seemingly wants to help her child, she later states she has never tried to understand his actions, all she wanted to do was prevent/fix them, stating her ignorant goals at an early stage in the book.
The tone from both ends is rigid. Judy uses her space to vent, while Sean’s part is emotionless and monotone. For a long time, his perspective means virtually nothing because he only restates or emphasizes her remarks. In return, leaving little perspective within the autistic mind like I had initially thought the book was going to possess. The tone only implemented Judy’s continuous anger, which got tiring and aggravating because of her self-destructive behaviors.
Originally I had picked up this book, intrigued to hear more about the autistic experience from someone who was diagnosed with it, in order to learn new aspects that weren’t from a doctor’s perspective and compare/contrast traits to hopefully relate to Sean. But for 75% of the book, we don’t get to hear his perspective or personal thoughts about growing up in an allistic home. I was unable to gain the experience I originally endured. And although because of their experiences, they are qualified to communicate about the topic, they hold a large amount of bias and misinformation.
Due to the author's misconceptions about autism, I have poor feelings towards There’s a Boy in Here. I certainly do not recommend it, especially to its intended audience because it does nothing but spread false information and encourage inconsiderable expectations on autistic children. There is already enough misunderstandings when it comes to the autism community, we don’t need a reason to spread another one. I found this book to be insulting as it continuously belittled autistic behavior, so far to a point where Judy’s denial was so influential, that Sean retained it. This forces him to mask his behavior because of how poorly he was treated his entire life, so far that he withholds the things that bring him joy, from himself. Which I found to be heartbreaking because I am aware of the irreversible harm that can cause. The repercussions of constant masking are not worth the approval from others, and I hope that one day Sean sees that.
Mariah Brown
AP Lang
7 May 2024
Book Review
There’s a Boy in Here by Judy and Sean Barron is a dual biography from a mother and autistic son’s perspective. The book is about Sean's experiences through childhood and beyond, the effects his autism diagnosis had on the family, and how they had tried to “help. Sean evidently grows up “coming out” of his diagnosis, convinced that he no longer needs to affiliate with it due to his discovery of masking.
The book was written within the 1960’s where little was known about autism, but that did not prevent psychologists from sharing their theories with the public. Many believed that autism was caused by the lack of love received from the mother, accusing her of being the foundation for the diagnosis. The most common recommended “treatments” included institutions and tranquilizers/other stimulants in order to quiet hyperactivity. It was believed that autistic children did not have a sense of reality. In the 1950’s doctors were confident that they had hallucinations, whereas in the 1960’s psychologists believed they weren’t conscious at all. These were all a part of Sean and Judy’s experience going through the journey of an unknowledgeable disability, impacting the way Judy felt as a mother and her drive to help her son.
The book was created for other autism parents and their children. Their journey implicates a false sense of hope as it focuses so heavily on the importance of “fixing” autism, inspiring parents to promote masking and unacceptance of their children. Which is portrayed through motifs from both mother and son’s perspective. Judy states “Their’s a real child in there, I thought. He’s trapped and we’ve got to get him out” (Barron 61). As Judy is unwilling to accept the fact that autism and her son are cohesive.
The book successfully promotes this misconception for the audience, starting by making a connection through their shared struggles to glorifying her and Sean’s “success story”. She attempts to get the audience to empathize with her and her hardships: “I had always thought that there was nothing worse than seeing one’s child in pain. But Sean’s compulsions, his strange behaviors, so clearly comforted him…the irony was that I was trying to force him out” (Barron 62). Her ability to display her emotions helps the reader see from her perspective, by doing so it helps the reader and Judy feel less alone. Although she seemingly wants to help her child, she later states she has never tried to understand his actions, all she wanted to do was prevent/fix them, stating her ignorant goals at an early stage in the book.
The tone from both ends is rigid. Judy uses her space to vent, while Sean’s part is emotionless and monotone. For a long time, his perspective means virtually nothing because he only restates or emphasizes her remarks. In return, leaving little perspective within the autistic mind like I had initially thought the book was going to possess. The tone only implemented Judy’s continuous anger, which got tiring and aggravating because of her self-destructive behaviors.
Originally I had picked up this book, intrigued to hear more about the autistic experience from someone who was diagnosed with it, in order to learn new aspects that weren’t from a doctor’s perspective and compare/contrast traits to hopefully relate to Sean. But for 75% of the book, we don’t get to hear his perspective or personal thoughts about growing up in an allistic home. I was unable to gain the experience I originally endured. And although because of their experiences, they are qualified to communicate about the topic, they hold a large amount of bias and misinformation.
Due to the author's misconceptions about autism, I have poor feelings towards There’s a Boy in Here. I certainly do not recommend it, especially to its intended audience because it does nothing but spread false information and encourage inconsiderable expectations on autistic children. There is already enough misunderstandings when it comes to the autism community, we don’t need a reason to spread another one. I found this book to be insulting as it continuously belittled autistic behavior, so far to a point where Judy’s denial was so influential, that Sean retained it. This forces him to mask his behavior because of how poorly he was treated his entire life, so far that he withholds the things that bring him joy, from himself. Which I found to be heartbreaking because I am aware of the irreversible harm that can cause. The repercussions of constant masking are not worth the approval from others, and I hope that one day Sean sees that.
August 4, 2022
Another quick read- I absolutely LOVED hearing both perspectives. Incredibly enlightening and fills you with compassion for both parties (mom & son). I appreciated seeing how Sean wrestled with having a lack of control over his behaviors- a constant battle between wanting to change but being overcome by his compulsions. You get to see the reasoning behind them- his need for structure, his “rules” that give him safety and protection. And equally you see his moms search for understanding but constant frustration by his repetitive behaviors, feeling hopeless as a mother. I cannot imagine how difficult that would be.
Anyway, though it is very insightful, it’s tricky because every person with autism is different. Not everyone can or will have this “emergence” from autism as Sean did. It’s extremely inspiring to see how his parents never gave up on him, & Sean later sees & appreciates this, but it’s almost like Sean had to grow and experience things for himself in order for him to start to understand his behaviors & cause effect patterns. Regardless, it’s a beautiful read that I feel could be encouraging for those in similar situations.
Anyway, though it is very insightful, it’s tricky because every person with autism is different. Not everyone can or will have this “emergence” from autism as Sean did. It’s extremely inspiring to see how his parents never gave up on him, & Sean later sees & appreciates this, but it’s almost like Sean had to grow and experience things for himself in order for him to start to understand his behaviors & cause effect patterns. Regardless, it’s a beautiful read that I feel could be encouraging for those in similar situations.
October 21, 2015
The book is the experience of one family and one autistic boy at a time (1965 at age 4) when very little was known about the disease.
It is not a “how to” book for getting children to emerge the disease.
As autobiographical material and an excellent character study of a family struggling to cope, I highly recommend this book.
Upon reading it, one must believe the parents to be some kind of saints for having not only put up with, but loved and supported such a child as Sean whose hyperactive, compulsive, irrational, cold-blooded behavior made him appear a devil-child.
Most of our sympathies lie with the parents, particularly Judy in the early stages. But two strong images come to mind that clearly depict Sean’s tormented life: his cowering in a corner of Dr. Rossi’s office after the doctor spanked him and his running after the family car on the grounds of Beechbrook begging to be taken home.
The device using Sean’s narration to counter his mother’s to explain his behavior is well-served. He allows us inside his tortured mind as much as he can with memories of why he loved to throw things down the heat register (to see where they would go and how far; what was down there), why he played games with people (needed to control conversations; needed attention), why he couldn’t stop doing repetitive destructive actions (sometimes to see how things work; fascination with movement; it was his only satisfaction) and why he hated his mother (she stopped him from doing the things he loved to do).
All emotions are in play in this book from love to hate, anger to pity. On one occasion father Ron destroys Sean’s room, so frustrated and angry with the years of destruction on Sean’s part. We empathize with his behavior, just as we do with Judy’s frustration that keeps her yelling and hitting Sean.
In his teen years we see Sean’s growth, now more visually than ever before. We see him progressing in school with greater rewards, more mature behavior and more effort on his part to relate to the real world. Ultimately, the biggest payoff of all, seeing Sean as he is today, working, functioning and loving. We “see” him writing this book, over the phone with his mother, a woman he despised, a woman he couldn’t even look at. It does give one hope.
It is not a “how to” book for getting children to emerge the disease.
As autobiographical material and an excellent character study of a family struggling to cope, I highly recommend this book.
Upon reading it, one must believe the parents to be some kind of saints for having not only put up with, but loved and supported such a child as Sean whose hyperactive, compulsive, irrational, cold-blooded behavior made him appear a devil-child.
Most of our sympathies lie with the parents, particularly Judy in the early stages. But two strong images come to mind that clearly depict Sean’s tormented life: his cowering in a corner of Dr. Rossi’s office after the doctor spanked him and his running after the family car on the grounds of Beechbrook begging to be taken home.
The device using Sean’s narration to counter his mother’s to explain his behavior is well-served. He allows us inside his tortured mind as much as he can with memories of why he loved to throw things down the heat register (to see where they would go and how far; what was down there), why he played games with people (needed to control conversations; needed attention), why he couldn’t stop doing repetitive destructive actions (sometimes to see how things work; fascination with movement; it was his only satisfaction) and why he hated his mother (she stopped him from doing the things he loved to do).
All emotions are in play in this book from love to hate, anger to pity. On one occasion father Ron destroys Sean’s room, so frustrated and angry with the years of destruction on Sean’s part. We empathize with his behavior, just as we do with Judy’s frustration that keeps her yelling and hitting Sean.
In his teen years we see Sean’s growth, now more visually than ever before. We see him progressing in school with greater rewards, more mature behavior and more effort on his part to relate to the real world. Ultimately, the biggest payoff of all, seeing Sean as he is today, working, functioning and loving. We “see” him writing this book, over the phone with his mother, a woman he despised, a woman he couldn’t even look at. It does give one hope.
June 6, 2012
3.5 stars. This is the story of one family's experience raising a son who has autism. That son is now an adult, and the book switches point of view from the mother's to the son's. This was the perfect format for the book - it gave a real sense for both the mother's frustrations and the reasons behind the son's behaviors. If you are looking to gain some understanding of what it is like to raise a child with autism, I can't think of a better book to recommend. It is at turns heartbreaking and hopeful. If you want ideas for how to help your own child break through the mystifying confines of autism and out into the greater world, I do not see this book providing a useful path to follow. It seems that one day Sean just realized why he acted the way he did and then was willing to work hard to overcome those obstacles himself. (The book is more about the journey to that point than about the work that went on afterward.) As a parent of a child on the spectrum, this was almost discouraging as up until Sean found the motivation himself, the parents' actions seemed to have no impact on him.
January 8, 2009
This book was extremely interesting because of the subject matter. It was written by a mother and a son( who is autistic) about what his life was like growing up. Even more interesting was the mother's perspective. She and her husband had no help to cope with him. It wasn't until he was 6 that they even had a name. They just knew he was different.
October 30, 2017
I was astounded by the level of abuse the writer endured and that his mother would write so honestly about it. I was expecting some miracle techniques that the parents used to help their son “emerge” from his autism but he began to improve when he matured, despite how his parents treated him.
January 6, 2012
i liked the book...except the ending. I was very skeptical of how it seemed like in the snap of a finger the boy no longer had autism.
February 9, 2024
DNF @ 36%
I cannot read another page of this book. I purchased it years ago when I was in grad school to become a behavior analyst specializing in kids diagnosed with ASD. At that time I sought out books written by people who had ASD or books written by parents to get that perspective from different sources. For some reason I never got around to reading this book, but I wasn’t missing anything.
I do realize this book was written 30 years ago and it’s based on the 1960s when the authors son was a child. At that time autism was something no one had heard of outside of neurologists, and surely no one knew how to treat it aside from institutionalizing. HOWEVER, the way this mother writes about her son is abhorrent. I understand she was likely very frustrated—she didn’t know why he acted this way, her husband never seemed to be around, and child rearing was just different back then. But the violent way she clearly resents her child is disgusting to read. She needed to seek counseling instead of writing a book. The flashbacks her son wrote about that time seem off to me too. He’s claiming to remember vividly events that took place when he was 2. Not just remembering them, but remembering how he felt. There is no way. Additionally, the kindle version is filled with typos, it is distracting and unprofessional.
There are far better books to read about experience with autism, skip this one.
I cannot read another page of this book. I purchased it years ago when I was in grad school to become a behavior analyst specializing in kids diagnosed with ASD. At that time I sought out books written by people who had ASD or books written by parents to get that perspective from different sources. For some reason I never got around to reading this book, but I wasn’t missing anything.
I do realize this book was written 30 years ago and it’s based on the 1960s when the authors son was a child. At that time autism was something no one had heard of outside of neurologists, and surely no one knew how to treat it aside from institutionalizing. HOWEVER, the way this mother writes about her son is abhorrent. I understand she was likely very frustrated—she didn’t know why he acted this way, her husband never seemed to be around, and child rearing was just different back then. But the violent way she clearly resents her child is disgusting to read. She needed to seek counseling instead of writing a book. The flashbacks her son wrote about that time seem off to me too. He’s claiming to remember vividly events that took place when he was 2. Not just remembering them, but remembering how he felt. There is no way. Additionally, the kindle version is filled with typos, it is distracting and unprofessional.
There are far better books to read about experience with autism, skip this one.
July 24, 2019
Cuando le conté a mi teacher que uno de mis sobrinos tiene Síndrome de Asperger y que me encanta aprender cosas sobre este tipo de trastornos, me dijo que tenía el libro perfecto para prestarme.
Sean tiene autismo en los años 60 y su familia no entiende nada de lo que le pasa. Todos en su familia notan que hay algo diferente en él, y esto se acentúa cuando nace su hermanita menor, Megan. Sentí profunda empatía hacia la madre, todos sus esfuerzos por lidiar con el trastorno de su hijo denotaban que el sentimiento más grande que tenía hacía él era el amor, aunque muchas veces perdiera el control.
El principio de la historia me aburrió un poco porque se tornó MUY repetitivo, lo cual tiene completo sentido ya que la vida de Sean y su mamá era así, basada en actividades de repetición. Cuando Sean empieza a crecer y empezamos a ver su punto de vista de las cosas le tomé un gran cariño, sus historias me rompían el corazón y al mismo tiempo me daban fuerzas para seguir leyendo, porque esta información tiene que ser conocida por tanta gente como sea posible.
Sean tiene autismo en los años 60 y su familia no entiende nada de lo que le pasa. Todos en su familia notan que hay algo diferente en él, y esto se acentúa cuando nace su hermanita menor, Megan. Sentí profunda empatía hacia la madre, todos sus esfuerzos por lidiar con el trastorno de su hijo denotaban que el sentimiento más grande que tenía hacía él era el amor, aunque muchas veces perdiera el control.
El principio de la historia me aburrió un poco porque se tornó MUY repetitivo, lo cual tiene completo sentido ya que la vida de Sean y su mamá era así, basada en actividades de repetición. Cuando Sean empieza a crecer y empezamos a ver su punto de vista de las cosas le tomé un gran cariño, sus historias me rompían el corazón y al mismo tiempo me daban fuerzas para seguir leyendo, porque esta información tiene que ser conocida por tanta gente como sea posible.
January 31, 2021
Mögnuð saga þar sem við fáum að kynnast Sean og fjölskyldu, út frá sjónarhorni hans og mömmu hans. Sean greinist með einhverfu á þeim tímum þegar einhverfa er enn lítið þekkt og lítið rannsakað fyrirbæri. Lífið reynist þeim þrautinni þyngri.
Bók sem snerti mig djúpt og ég fann oft ansi mikið til með þessum dreng.
Ég á eftir að lesa þessa bók aftur seinna meir. Mæli hiklaust með.
Bók sem snerti mig djúpt og ég fann oft ansi mikið til með þessum dreng.
Ég á eftir að lesa þessa bók aftur seinna meir. Mæli hiklaust með.
August 22, 2018
Amazing!
December 13, 2018
Excellent insight into the struggles of autism
May 24, 2019
The book suggests a bit higher function of an autistic boy. Both mother and son contribute to this story. Good story.
June 25, 2019
That was a very interesting story and a window into the life of both an autistic boy and his family. At times it was quite a difficult read.
January 3, 2023
My first book on autism. His point of view helped me see what it was like to be autistic
February 10, 2024
Een mooi en openhartig, maar ook heftig, verhaal over een jongen met autisme en hoe de wereld voor hem eruit ziet. Ik vond het erg interessant om de beide perspectieven te lezen van moeder en zoon.
October 20, 2019
***4.5***
March 2, 2023
This book broke my heart and then put it back together. It's so raw, open, and honest.
February 23, 2017
This is the story of a family struggling to deal with a child with autism told from the perspective of the mother and the son with autism who are both trying to understand and cope at a time when little was known about this condition.
February 23, 2011
This unique story is told by a mother and by her autistic son himself at age 25. The device of presenting the same episodes from both perspectives provides a rare opportunity to see the reasons behind his aberrant behavior. That part of the narrative is valuable, and the fury and frustration he describes should serve as a rebuttal to those who pretend that being autistic is simply an alternate way of being and that we are misguided when we try to change such a person.
On the other hand, I'm troubled by the claim that he essentially recovered by an act of his own will. Suggesting that such a thing can happen strikes me as being dangerous in that it could lead other families to passively hope for the best, as opposed to taking an active role in finding help. It implies that others with autism might also spontaneously recover, and I just don't hear of that happening. Autism is a neurological condition--or rather a collection of symptoms reflecting a variety of poorly understood syndromes of various origins. This is not meant to detract from the potential of individual will, but if Sean Barron truly recovered by simply deciding to do so, I can only conclude that his underlying condition was unlike that of others with the same label.
On the other hand, I'm troubled by the claim that he essentially recovered by an act of his own will. Suggesting that such a thing can happen strikes me as being dangerous in that it could lead other families to passively hope for the best, as opposed to taking an active role in finding help. It implies that others with autism might also spontaneously recover, and I just don't hear of that happening. Autism is a neurological condition--or rather a collection of symptoms reflecting a variety of poorly understood syndromes of various origins. This is not meant to detract from the potential of individual will, but if Sean Barron truly recovered by simply deciding to do so, I can only conclude that his underlying condition was unlike that of others with the same label.
September 2, 2015
Honestly, I did not know what to expect from this book. I read it as a part of an assignment for an education course. I was never so happy to be assigned a book in my life. It is an incredibly quick read with a great deal of heart and insight.
The book is the autobiographical story of a young man who was born with autism. The story is told from two perspectives, both the mother's and the boy's. The mother's telling of her story raising her son is a brutal and honest. She is immensely forthcoming about her frustration and her abusive behavior in response to that frustration. The book also discusses the mother's frustration with professionals of the time and their lack of information and willingness to blame her for the young man's situation. The parts written by the sun give a sometimes chilling insight into the world of children with autism.
The book was an amazing read. And as a parent and educator I found insight and usefulness throughout the entire book. It is a very quick read and I highly recommend it.
The book is the autobiographical story of a young man who was born with autism. The story is told from two perspectives, both the mother's and the boy's. The mother's telling of her story raising her son is a brutal and honest. She is immensely forthcoming about her frustration and her abusive behavior in response to that frustration. The book also discusses the mother's frustration with professionals of the time and their lack of information and willingness to blame her for the young man's situation. The parts written by the sun give a sometimes chilling insight into the world of children with autism.
The book was an amazing read. And as a parent and educator I found insight and usefulness throughout the entire book. It is a very quick read and I highly recommend it.
December 11, 2013
This older book (I think 1992) is different in that it shows two sides to the same experience- that of the mother and that of the autistic son. This highly functional young man, now a journalist who describes himself as healed from autism, is able to recall many childhood incidents, his emotional reactions to them and his motivations. The mother is able to describe seeking help for a child in a era of direct mother blame and judgment, and the scandalous ways some health care providers treated them.
It was interesting that he was able to attend public school in a regular classroom, although many teachers expressed distress in managing him. Not a how-to-overcome book, but very interesting report of points of view and reflection of how far society has come.
It was interesting that he was able to attend public school in a regular classroom, although many teachers expressed distress in managing him. Not a how-to-overcome book, but very interesting report of points of view and reflection of how far society has come.
September 19, 2009
What sets this book apart from most narratives of parents dealing with autistic children is that part of the story is told by the child himself, Sean Barron. You get a glimpse of the motivations behind his seemingly inexplicable behaviors and a poignant insight into his complete bewilderment regarding emotional language. It's a battle just for brief moments of connection and the daily struggles leave both parties frustrated and exhausted, but sheer obstinacy finally pays off. One of the better books on a difficult subject.
July 29, 2011
Judy and Sean have written a book that tells the story of autism from the perspective of both the parents and the afflicted child. As the parent of an autistic child, I felt a lot of familiarity with the problems that Judy Barron faced and the viewpoint of Sean gave me some insight into what might be happening in the mind of my own son. This book was written about dealing with autism in the 1960's; I feel very thankful that the philosophy about this illness has changed and the treatment options are more advanced. This was an easy read; I completed it in one evening.
May 1, 2013
This is a great book to read if you would like a first hand experience at how families deal on a day to day basis with an autistic child. This book starts when Sean was born in the 1960's. It talks about the troubles Sean's family went through to try and get help for their child and the process they went through. Sean also wrote part of this book, describing why he did certain things. Even though he was so young, Sean says he remembers exactly why he did the things he did. Overall, it's a really good book!
August 16, 2011
This is an incredible story. Judy Barron relates her story, as documented in her journals, of her struggles in raising a child with autism, and her son Sean provides parallel stories of his experience, shedding insight into his behavior. Both Judy and Sean are good writers in addition to being open and honest, sharing the pain as well as the triumphs. As a clinician who works with people with autism, I think this should be required reading for everyone in the field.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews