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Robert Hughes
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Book
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Publisher | Jessica Kingsley Publishers | ||
ISBN | 978184310752 | ||
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Reviewer
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Jayne
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Synopsis
Walker is a low-functioning autistic, the opposite of the popular image of the autistic portrayed by Dustin Hoffman in the film Rain Man. His father, Robert Hughes, tells a touching and inspiring story of discovering that their "perfect little boy had a problem." With disarming honesty and humor, the book tells how a family copes and keeps hope alive despite the staggering difficulties autism presents. By the time he was three, Walker's parents were concerned enough about his delayed development to consult a pediatric neurologist. Doctors diagnosed autism and issued a grim prognosis, "I hold out no hope for this child." But the specialists hadn't accounted for Walker's intelligence, affection, and needling sense of humor - or for the remarkable bonds that grew within his family.
Robert and Walker Hughes
Review
What an extraordinary story, told by a father about his son Walker. This family are truly the most loving and caring group of people who coped against all odds with there son Walker. This child was no trouble until he reach three years of age and only after their second son was born did they realise that there was something really different about Walker and consulted a paediatric neurologist.
They saw all sorts of other medical people and basically got the same answer, he's autistic he won't aspire to anything. But they fought all the way, including for home schooling, when his younger brother going off to school like other normal kids. He also has OCD like his parents had when they were students, but learned to cope with it. They also wondered if Walker had this condition to because of the way he insisted on watching certain parts of video's over and over again, but this to me is also an autistic behaviour symptom.
They discovered the freeddom of fresh air and loved open spaces as long as there was not too much noise. Then he learnt to run or rather more like a skip/run every where for miles round their home town Chicago. His dad also became very fit because of the running Walker enjoyed.
I loved many parts of the book and can see that this child was intelligent, but was frustrated because he could not speak or would not speak as the psychologists had said on many occasions. I don't think we can ever imagine what this family went through unless, you are one of those families who have had the same thing happen to you.
The frankness and openness of this book by Robert Hughes just highlights again, that it seems to be all over the world that people have great difficulty coping with a very autistic child and just like to label them as one who will never succeed at anything!
Robert has opened his soul and that of his wife's also, to lay in front of the public, what a terrible burden it can be for a family to live with a child that society would sooner ignore. I think that they succeeded in getting help, by just never giving up and I would like to praise the family for their determination in seeking against all odds, the right place and drugs to help their 'perfect little boy' who has turned into the loving teenager and the remarkable bonds that grew within the family.
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