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A Different Kind of Boy: A Father's Memoir on Raising a Gifted Child With Autism
| Our Price |
$ 26.45
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| Item Number |
342979 |
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Item Description...
Product Description
A little nine-year-old boy looks down at the gymnasium floor. The room is filled with children who like and respect him, but he has no real friends. He can barely name anyone in his class, and has trouble with the simplest things - recognizing people, pretending, and knowing when people are happy or angry or sad. Much of his life has been filled with anxiety. He is out of step with the world, which to him is mostly a whirlwind that must be actively decoded and put into order. Yet he was one of seven fourth-graders in the United States to ace the National Math Olympiad. In fifth grade he finished second in a national math talent search. That boy is autistic. He is also loving, brilliant and resilient. In this volume, his father writes about the joys, fears, frustration, exhilaration and exhaustion involved in raising his son. He writes about the impact on his family, the travails of navigating the educational system, and the lessons he has learned about life, what it means to connect with people, and how one builds a life that suits oneself.
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Item Specifications...
Pages 248
Dimensions: Length: 0.75" Width: 6" Height: 9"
Weight: 0.85 lbs.
Binding Softcover
ISBN 1843107155
EAN 9781843107156
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Availability 2 units.
Availability accurate as of May 24, 2012 01:04.
Usually ships within one to two business days from Momence, IL.
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Reviews - What do our customers think?
 | A must read for anyone touched by Autism Apr 29, 2008 |
| This book was loaned to me by my son's nurse practitioner. I hadn't heard of it, but now I'm encouraging everyone I know to read it. This is a great book that demonstrates the true "human" feelings of being a parent of a child with autism. I was deeply touched by the honesty displayed in this book, and found that my thoughts, experiences, and feelings are mirrored by the author's. I appreciate his willingness to expose his heart for the purpose of educating others about autism. This book is a must read for any family member or friend of someone who has autism. | | | | Helpful to parents of autistic children Dec 8, 2007 |
The author describes raising his autistic, mathematically gifted son for his son's first ten years of life. This book provides insights that would help all parents of young, high functioning, autistics. And indeed I would suggest this book as the first read of a parent who just found out that his/her child is autistic.
Despite being an economist, the author's writing style is clear, concise and interesting. | | | | real insight and "edu-tainment" May 14, 2005 |
This book is worthwhile reading for anyone who has ever been in contact with someone who seems intellectual but is unable to "connect" with people.
The journey of the book, as others have commented, is take the reader through the symptoms, diagnosis and coping with Alex's autism. There exists only a small subset of the population which is autistic and only a small subset of the population capable of digesting, providing insight and sharing live experience with first rate written communication. This book occupies a unique space in that the gifted author has the full life experience with the autistic child, which experience is shared with us all in this book.
Given the subject matter of the book, as others have commented, this book should be required reading for anyone who is in regular contact with a bright autistic person. Yet the insights in this book can go much further. More generally, this book will be helpful to the reader in relating to the bright, unapproachable segment of the population that almost everyone comes into contact with. Many people, of all ages, will gain insight into how to relate better to some of the people in their everyday lives.
Many books are read for their educational value, others for their entertainment. The book is so well-paced and engaging as to provide "edu-tainment" -- you can't put it down, and when you've finished you've learned a lot of new information. The same material could have been covered with a dry, academic style which would really only be read and digested by few. But Daniel Mont, as the modest but extremely bright father in his own right (Ph.Ds don't grow on trees, do they?), displays a gift for real communication. The author seems to understand very well what will motivate the reader to turn the next page.
I highly recommend this book, on so many levels. | | |  | A Father's Memoir about raising a Gifted Child with Autism Oct 20, 2004 |
While reading, A Different Kind of Boy: A Father's Memoir About Raising a Gifted Child with Autism, I found myself stopping early on to recall how my two children were as babies and toddlers before the diagnosis of autism arrived. The author, Daniel Mont, shares his frustrations along with observations as the primary caregiver to Alex, his first born son. While his wife Nannette was working outside the home the first few years, Daniel was spending hours reading books to Alex.
When Daniel got a teaching position at Cornell they moved to upstate New York with Nannette taking over the daily duties pertaining to Alex. They noticed that Alex did not take any interest in other children when at the playground and had difficulty at the store. Since this was their first child when Simon was born a few years later they realized with regret how much slower Alex was with milestones and the lack of social skills.
Daniel shares the relief once the diagnosis was made and the steps taken to get there, including the time a preschool teacher accused them of being abusive parents. There are a few choice words at this point in the book when Daniel incites the rage he was feeling from this attack and how he and Nannette focused on getting some assistance with Alex instead of getting on the defensive. For most families that have a child on the autism spectrum this is a predicament that happens often, and due to the lack of awareness for those who work with small children. Many of his colleagues and family members thought they were spoiling Alex, but later they learned how additional measures need to be put in place to help the autistic child fit in with society and how things work.
Daniel wrote about growing up with a sister who had a disability, but never received a formal diagnosis for her handicap. When Alex was diagnosed Daniel was able to reach out to his mother and learn from her experience. Alex received speech therapy early on with the therapist assisting him in social situations, guiding him in the art of the conversation and how to relate to others.
There is no mention about vaccinations or questioning why Alex is the way he is. Time is spent trying to get inside the world of Alex and how he thinks. The book is written in a style that is easy to comprehend for anyone who lacks information on autism. Daniel mentions a few books that helped him early on and how he joined some internet groups and the guidance he received from adults with autism. The family accepted autism and made adjustments to accommodate Alex so that he could thrive being himself. Daniel and his family grew up in New Jersey, which is where I was raised as well and have a sibling with a disability.
A Different Kind of Boy: A Father's Memoir About Raising a Gifted Child with Autism covers the time from when Alex was born to fifth grade. At this point in time Daniel is picturing life when his sons have moved on to college and their own lives. This was something he was not sure would happen, but now he believes that Alex will have success in life. Family relationships are mentioned and how they handled the loss of Daniel's mother.
I felt the second half flowed smoother than the first. The beginning chapters I had to go back and see what age Alex was at the time since I was confused with the timeframe, due to chapters being out of sequence. Every so often when reading a chapter the author would refer back to his childhood or a few years back with either Alex or Simon.
The author does not gloss over any issues and gives honest feedback on how he felt at pivotal times in his life and the anxiety about school, plus finding friends for Alex. He finished this book after his mother passed on and pursued his acting career further.
This book is perfectly suited for anyone who wants to know more about living with a child who is autistic and would be beneficial to family members who have someone on the spectrum and may live out of town or in another state. This will help parents know what struggles other families have gone through and give guidance on how to navigate the system to enable your child to thrive in their surroundings.
| | | | an excellent humane book for anyone interested in difference Sep 20, 2004 |
| I second the emotions of other five-star-awarding readers. I've bought several copies of this book and shared it with journalists, editors, teachers, and family members who have recently had a loved one get the Asperger's diagnosis. Engaging, well-written, well-paced, funny--but to me the best thing about this book is the very modest Daniel Mont himself, and the attitude that he and his wife demonstrate to the rest of us: he accepts his son for who he is, he wants for him what every decent parent wants: happiness, the ability to connect, the ability to make a contribution. The Monts are wise enough to understand that this will only happen on Alex's own terms. The book also has many fascinating details that help a reader understand, in practical terms, what a person with Asperger's might see or understand differently from someone else, and why. And because Daniel accepts those differences, we do, too. I have a brother (one among 3 of them) with mental retardation and autism, so our families are alike in some ways, different in others, but I can testify that this wonderful, unassuming, entertaining memoir tells it like it is. Read it yourself or do someone the favor of giving it to them as a gift. This would be a great gift for a teenager, in my bookish opinion. It really opens your mind and airs it out. | | | Write your own review about A Different Kind of Boy: A Father's Memoir on Raising a Gifted Child With Autism
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