Published: April 29, 2012
Words: 68,000 (approximate)
Language: English
ISBN: 9780988055315

Short description

#1 on Amazon-After suddenly receiving custody of his five year old son, Ben must learn how to be a father to a child with autism. Ben's sixty hour a week work schedule goes out the window. Teacher Melanie Nicols sees Ben as a dead beat dad, but grudgingly comes to admire how he hangs in, determined to learn for his son’s sake. Her admiration grows to more as father and son come to rely on her.

Extended description

School Daze - Autism Goes to School ranks #1 on two Amazon categories!

After suddenly receiving custody of his five year old son, Ben must learn how to be a dad. That fact that he'd even fathered a child was news to him. Not only does this mean restructuring his sixty-hour work week and becoming responsible for another human being, but also Kyle has autism.
Enter the school system. Under the guidance (and bullying) of a gifted teacher, Ben and Kyle take tentative steps to becoming father and son.
Teacher Melanie Nicols sees Ben as a dead beat dad, but grudgingly comes to admire how he hangs in, determined to learn for his son’s sake. Her admiration grows to more as father and some come to rely on Melanie being a part of their lives.

Tags

love, school, teacher, help, integration, behavior, strategies, disability, autism, parenting, therapy, transition, practical, asperger syndrome, disorder, inclusion, special education, spectrum, sensory, tantrum, visuals, home and school

Available ebook reading formats

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Reviews

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Review by: Lisa Metlak on Aug. 31, 2012 :
(Review by Lisa Metlak for Word Vagabond)

Ben Wickens didn't know he was a father, until his ex-girlfriend called him up out of the blue asking for money for medical bills for their son. He was happy to oblige by sending money and adhering to his ex's request that he not be involved in his son's life. That suited Ben, a happy bachelor, just fine. Until the day his ex called him and said she was bringing their son, Kyle, to live with Ben. She was pregnant with her new husband's baby and just couldn't handle the pregnancy and life with an autistic child. From the moment Kyle came to live with him, Ben felt like an inadequate parent. He didn't know how to manage a 5 year-old child. He was initially in denial that Kyle had autism, but was forced to admit and accept his son's condition quickly. With the help of Kyle's new teacher, Ben learned that having an autistic child was not the worst thing to ever happen, and he found a life with his son that changed him forever.

Within the first few pages, the reader is introduced to the reality of a new parent entering a special needs environment. Not only did this book speak volumes about dealing with autism, but it also provided wonderful explanations of the importance for people to learn and understand the condition. Explanations of autism throughout the book are not clinical and difficult to understand; various ways to help an autistic child calm down and be focused are interspersed subtly throughout the book. Ben witnessed a teacher using techniques on a child that I identified as ones used to calm my autistic son. Had I read this book when my autistic son was young, it would have provided tools to my husband and me to work with and help our son.

The only part of this book that is fiction is the romance. Everything else is a reflection of the realities of living with an autistic child. The little details of how Kyle behaves and how he views our world are so accurate, I found myself nodding my head a lot thinking "yep, I've been there." The therapies used in the book are real therapies for autistic children. There is no "cure" or therapy that makes Kyle normal. The true miracle in this book is how the adults react to the child.

Not only did I enjoy this book, but I told my husband to read it and am recommending it to my friends and family. My husband and I were not as fortunate as Ben to have had people explaining the condition to us and helping us help our son. This book is a gentle way of introducing parents and guardians of autistic children to the world of autism and its various therapies to help the autistic child. Thank you, Dr. Mitchell.
(reviewed long after purchase)

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