Autism By Hand [Kindle Edition]

Lorca Damon (Author)

Book Description

"I never wanted to write this book. I can’t write this book, it hurts too much. But I have to because this book wasn’t there when I needed it. It’s not a human-interest story or a self-help book or an instruction manual on how to raise an autistic child. It’s simply a well-thought out laundry list of everything I did to help my daughter be the best person she could become and I did it in the dark because this book wasn’t there for me." from the Introduction

Be sure to check out the author's follow-up to this title: Knowing Autism. Written as a chapter-by-chapter guidebook for anyone who simply knows an individual on the spectrum, Knowing Autism equips people to be ready to interact with an autistic person based on the type of relationship they will have with that person, such as a relative, a neighbor, a teacher, and more.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lorca Damon is an author, teacher, and mother of an autistic child. She teaches in a juvenile correctional facility.

Product Details

• File Size: 173 KB
• Print Length: 103 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B005H7UE5C
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #59,475 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #57 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Parenting & Relationships > Parenting > Babies & Toddlers > Child Development
  • #57 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Parenting & Relationships > Special Needs

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring and real August 30, 2011

By Maxwell Cynn

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I'm not a mother. I'm the father of two wonderfully "normal" young men. I cannot begin to imagine what the mother of an autistic child, or any special needs child, endures 24/7/365 for life. But I am eternally grateful to Lorca Damon for sharing her life. Autism By Hand offers an honest, sometimes harsh, look at how one mother learned to care for her autistic child. The author warns her readers there will be no sugar coating, just real and raw strategies that work with her daughter.

The author likens her role to being on the edge of a cliff, holding tight to her daughters hand as the child hangs precariously over the abyss. There is no time for sugar coating or self pity, only positive action. She offers that positive action in a beautifully written narrative that inspires both laughter and tears. I read over half the book at one sitting, unable to put it down.

Though the book is written as a guide to mothers of autistic children, or any caregiver for that matter, it is a wealth of knowledge for any parent. I recognized many of the same struggles we had with our own children, yet multiplied a hundred fold. Where the parent of a developmentally "normal" child may struggle across a hurdle once, or over the course of days or weeks, the struggles continue for years or even a lifetime for the autistic parent and child. The most mundane social skills that our children learned by simply being kids are major milestones to be overcome day after day.

I couldn't help but fall in love with Carrie, the author's autistic daughter, through the selfless unconditional love her mother reveals in every line of Autism by Hand. I was introduced to the most beautiful, sweet, funny, and gifted little girl I can imagine. And I learned a little about the author - an amazing woman who seems too busy raising two girls to take herself very seriously. Her self-depreciating humor and wit make Autism by Hand a delightful read even given the tragic nature of its subject. Carrie could not have been given a better hand to hold through her life in our strange world.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read October 30, 2011

By Lucinda Rose

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

The Saturday before my birthday, I spent lying on my sofa reading, Autism by the Hand by Lorca Damon. Since honestly is an important component of it the follow needs to be stated before I go any further: this review is going to be completely and totally biased. I am the sister and extremely proud auntie of people living on the spectrum.

Like the author of this book, I have read a lot on autism that left me with way too much technical information and not enough practical advice. Like the author, I am also an educator. Theories are great, but give me something I can use in my classroom or with my family. Something that you have tried and seen results from. It may not work for me, but it certainly feels a lot better than taking blind stabs in the dark. Or worse, reinventing the wheel, only to discover that someone else did it better.

Since I began teaching, I have always worked with at risk populations. My first job was in a mental hospital educating sexual abuse victims. While there, I knew more than a few kids who would have benefited from their caretakers reading this book. Not because they were necessarily on spectrum, but because the advice it offers cuts through the BS of their labels and seeks ways to help them deal with the world. A world that isn't going to understand them not matter how much education we shove down its throat.

One of my favorite parts of this book was when Damon described her daughter getting upset when she share her Autism diagnosis with women in a store to explain the child's actions. Often times, we use the label of Autism as an excuse as to why someone with it can't do this or that, but how often do we consider that they may not want the world to know. Maybe the world doesn't need to know.

Damon is unapologetic about her approach. You might not like her, you might hate her, but you should listen to her. Listen and learn, because this woman is telling you things that worked with her child and they might work with yours. They are at least worth a try.

The best thing about this book is the attitude that Damon promotes and honesty with which she presents every word. We need more people out there saying get over it and stop the pity party. Once you do that, you can really start to make a difference in your life and the quality of life of your child. I truly wish this book had been out when we first learn of my nephew's diagnosis. I think it would have helped our family get over ourselves and concentrate on what really mattered, Robbie's mental health and well-being.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful and kind of comforting October 24, 2011

By SM Reine

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Recently, one of my dear friends revealed that her two year old son had been diagnosed with autism. I had heard all the horror stories about vaccinations (total bunk) and seen the statistics that say autism is on the rise, but until then, it felt like a distant threat. My own son, barely a year old, is a shining, beautiful baby-- I couldn't imagine anything being wrong with him. But my friend's two year old is a shining, beautiful child, too. Suddenly the danger seemed too real.

I became worried. What would I do if my son received the same diagnosis?

This book was a comfort. The author lets us see what day-to-day life is like as a parent to a child with autism. She doesn't make any bones about how difficult it is, but at the same time, you can tell she loves her daughter so much. This isn't some "autistic kid" she's raising. This is Carrie, her daughter and a human being-- not a label. I hope my son will be "normal." (Who wouldn't?) But I know life won't end if that turns out not to happen, too.

With helpful techniques and brutal honesty, Lorca Damon has written a must-read memoir of her journey through parenthood that anybody will find intriguing, heart-breaking, and sweet. Highly recommended.

More About the Author

Lorca Damon is a teacher in a juvenile correctional facility and a YA author. Her non-fiction books are about her own autistic daughter and the strategies she used to help her, while her young adult fiction tries to be the kinds of books her reluctant readers would want to read.