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A Real Boy: A True Story of Autism, Early Intervention, and Recovery
Jonah Adams was diagnosed as autistic at two years and eight months. Just a few years later, a doctor refused to believe such a diagnosis could ever have been given to this healthy, happy boy. This is the true story of how Jonah’s mother, Christina, seized his limited window of opportunity for recovery. Detailing how she utilized a combination of a special diet and one-on-one tutoring with speech therapists and behavioral psychologists, Christina shares the entire journey she undertook to give her child a second chance at a full life.
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
6 people are currently reading
90 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
February 14, 2011
As a parent of 2 autistic children, I generally enjoy reading books about how other families have handled situations that our family has struggled with. I felt that this author however, set herself up as caring more than most "autism mommies" because she had the finances, time and resources to do a lot of different therapies. She subtly blames vaccinations and pitocin for her son's condition and then proceeds to try countless drugs to remedy the problems. The reason I stuck with the book was because she did try a lot of therapies and was very specific on programs, drugs, and other resources that I do want to keep on file for future reference. She definitely had a lot of good information, but I did not enjoy the tone of her writing.
January 28, 2008
Easy read but kind of discouraging. You don't need to quit your job, spend thousands of dollars and harrass everyone thru the county to get services for your child. It gave me confidence and understanding about autism and talked alot about behaviors I thought were normal, but it definitely was not the best resource book on the subject.
June 27, 2011
I just finished this book for the 2nd time. The first time was when I first started working with kids on the spectrum. It's a good book and a good read. After reading it the second time I have come to 2 conclusions.
1. I was incredibly naive the first time I read this book
2. I still love to read stories of recovery to know there is hope in this world.
Go Jonah!
1. I was incredibly naive the first time I read this book
2. I still love to read stories of recovery to know there is hope in this world.
Go Jonah!
May 14, 2008
I picked this up for my sister-in-law and just started to read the first page out of curiousity, & I couldn't put it down. I really felt all the mom's ups and downs with the challenges she and her family face.
October 21, 2020
DNF. So painfully insulting and inaccurate.
November 15, 2015
This memoir, the true story of a little blue-eyed boy named Jonah who is diagnosed at age two with autism, is both painful and beautiful to read.
Christina Adams, Jonah's mom, becomes a warrior, willing to do anything, experiment with any medication, and spend any amount of time and money to heal her son's damaged brain and compromised immune system. Her husband, an ambitious and successful lawyer who has never lost a trial, is blindsided by the diagnosis and blames his wife, criticizing her for needing pitocin during a long and difficult labor. (If the cause of autism were only that simple.)
But though her marital strife, her husband's callousness, and her son's challenges make her life seem like a nightmare of despair, self-blame, and a lack of support at the beginning, Adams is lucky to have the financial resources, the intellectual wherewithal, and the luxury of time to do everything she can to recover her son. The family hires a lawyer to get approval from the school district for an unbelievably expensive recovery program; she personally oversees a 40-hour a week training modification program for Jonah; and they are able to afford visits to a host of medical specialists.
Even as his behavior, speech, and eye contact start to improve, Jonah can't stop biting his mother (and other children, and sometimes other adults), starts blinking inexplicably, has a host of accompanying health problems in addition to the autism. For months he takes three steps forward only to take two back. But some of the symptoms of autism resolve as a result of all the interventions. His mom puts him on a gluten-free casein-free diet, begins feeding him more real foods, slowly stops giving him sugar. His doctors treat the overgrowth of yeast in his body, and even put him on SSRIs, drugs usually used to treat mood disorders. Adams and the dozens of therapists that come into her house every day pay close attention to how he responds to each adjustment, trying to avoid the placebo effect and determine what lifestyle, diet, and medication changes are really working.
The writing in this memoir is beautiful and the story gripping, especially for anyone interested in autism. Christina's stubbornness and total dedication to helping her son makes this a story of triumph. (Full disclosure: I first bought this book because Christina and I are connected on Facebook and I recently interviewed her for a magazine article I'm writing on how people change.)
Christina Adams, Jonah's mom, becomes a warrior, willing to do anything, experiment with any medication, and spend any amount of time and money to heal her son's damaged brain and compromised immune system. Her husband, an ambitious and successful lawyer who has never lost a trial, is blindsided by the diagnosis and blames his wife, criticizing her for needing pitocin during a long and difficult labor. (If the cause of autism were only that simple.)
But though her marital strife, her husband's callousness, and her son's challenges make her life seem like a nightmare of despair, self-blame, and a lack of support at the beginning, Adams is lucky to have the financial resources, the intellectual wherewithal, and the luxury of time to do everything she can to recover her son. The family hires a lawyer to get approval from the school district for an unbelievably expensive recovery program; she personally oversees a 40-hour a week training modification program for Jonah; and they are able to afford visits to a host of medical specialists.
Even as his behavior, speech, and eye contact start to improve, Jonah can't stop biting his mother (and other children, and sometimes other adults), starts blinking inexplicably, has a host of accompanying health problems in addition to the autism. For months he takes three steps forward only to take two back. But some of the symptoms of autism resolve as a result of all the interventions. His mom puts him on a gluten-free casein-free diet, begins feeding him more real foods, slowly stops giving him sugar. His doctors treat the overgrowth of yeast in his body, and even put him on SSRIs, drugs usually used to treat mood disorders. Adams and the dozens of therapists that come into her house every day pay close attention to how he responds to each adjustment, trying to avoid the placebo effect and determine what lifestyle, diet, and medication changes are really working.
The writing in this memoir is beautiful and the story gripping, especially for anyone interested in autism. Christina's stubbornness and total dedication to helping her son makes this a story of triumph. (Full disclosure: I first bought this book because Christina and I are connected on Facebook and I recently interviewed her for a magazine article I'm writing on how people change.)
December 2, 2009
good non-fiction book of a woman who learned her son had autism and did everything she could (change of child's diet, 40hrs week in home therapy, etc.) to help him on his road to recovery. As stated on the back of the book, "At two years and eight months, Jonah Adams was autistic. Just before his fifth birthday, an eminent doctor refused to believe that a diagnosis of autism could ever have been given to this child. Thanks to a mother who would not quit, Jonah has a second chance at a full life. This is their story..." (Note: the first chapter does not flow as well as the subsequent chapters--at least it felt that way to me. The rest of the book was pretty well written; it just seems like the first chapter was a little "messy.")
October 8, 2007
This was an excellent book. Although I had a lot of trouble understanding why the parents did some of the things they did, and acted how they did, I still found the book very enjoyable. I got so sucked into the book that, at times, it was hard to believe that it was actually a true story.
The one thing I disliked, however, was that it didn't have any pictures. I'm used to seeing pictures when I read a non-fiction book, but this one didn't have any. So, it was kind of hard to relate to the characters. Kind of hard to realize that they were real, you know they are...but it's hard to grasp because there is nothing to prove otherwise. I'm also wondering how the little boy is doing now.
The one thing I disliked, however, was that it didn't have any pictures. I'm used to seeing pictures when I read a non-fiction book, but this one didn't have any. So, it was kind of hard to relate to the characters. Kind of hard to realize that they were real, you know they are...but it's hard to grasp because there is nothing to prove otherwise. I'm also wondering how the little boy is doing now.
January 16, 2012
My close friends work with a lot of special needs children (most having some form of autism) so I decided to read a bit on the subject. This was a very interesting book. Very informative if you have or are working with children with autism. I didn't realize how much money was spent trying to cope with the symptoms or even how important diet was to try and reverse some of the effects. What still strikes me as interesting is that the aid needed to deal with this in extreme cases is not nearly enough. This family spent a large amount of their own money trying to reverse some of the condition. I would recommend this.
July 17, 2011
Christina Adams is a very good writer so this book about her journey through the maze of autism with her son was very persuasive, and mostly very fluid. Each parent must make their own choices about what to do with their situation and though I don't entirely agree with all the treatments she did, I learned a lot from reading this first-hand account. So it's a super valuable story and she does a great job narrating it.
October 1, 2012
Not really sure why I didn't like this book. I work with kids with Autism so I am very interested in hearing peoples stories. I think I thought it was more about the moms stories. Yes there was a lot about the child obviously but I feel like it was more about the mom. Maybe if I had a child with Autism I would feel diffrently? Maybe I could relate better? Whatever the reason was I just wasn't a fan.
June 1, 2008
So far the worst book on autism I've read. I think she's out for martyrdom. The author turns every incident into a highly dramatized scene, and ends each chapter on a note that you're led to think that something is going to happen! And, it doesn't. Avoid this one.
August 12, 2008
I read this book so long ago, I don't remember if it was good or not, except for the fact that it is still on my book shelf, and I only keep books there I would consider reading again...Although A Million little pieces is on there too, and I thought that book had poor taste....
April 10, 2009
Autism is a spectrum. I didn't use "the diet" for my son becuause he responded well to various therapies, but it is still interesting and heartbreaking to read stories of other families struggling with autism.
November 26, 2007
a touching story of a mother who with hard work and sacrifice helped recover her little boy from an early diagnosis of autism
September 5, 2008
another autism book
February 3, 2009
Totally brought me back to my college days and working with autistic kids.
July 24, 2012
I was heart broken for her struggles but even more so that she seems to promote having money is the only way to improve autism.
February 18, 2013
A bit unrealistic but gives parents of children with autism hope with some tips
May 4, 2016
A clear memoir of one families working with autistic child. Seemed realistic if unbelievably time and energy consuming.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews