Autism: From Tragedy to Triumph [Paperback]

Carol Johnson (Author), Julia Crowder (Author), Ivar Lovaas (Designer)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1994 | ISBN-10: 0828319650 | ISBN-13: 978-0828319652

Julia Crowder is the mother of an autistic child and sees to it that her child is cared for throughout his school years. She sees him succeed against all odds.

Product Details

• Paperback: 187 pages
• Publisher: Branden Books (April 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0828319650
• ISBN-13: 978-0828319652
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,910,479 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Following an A.A. from Tulsa Junior College (now Tulsa Community College) and a B.A. from Northeastern State University, Tahlequah, OK, Carol Johnson received her M.A. in Language and Literature from The University of Tulsa. Currently, she teaches creative writing, composition, and literature full-time at Tulsa Community College. In 1993 her book Autism: From Tragedy to Triumph, was published, and since then her short stories and articles have seen print in venues as diverse as Clackamas Literary Review and Entrepreneur. Her novel, Everlasting, was published in October 2006 and has been nominated for the Oklahoma Book Award. She has one son and two granddaughters and makes her home in Mounds, Oklahoma, with assorted cats and her husband, more or less in that order.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!, April 15, 2000

By 

Michael J Woznicki "Michael J Woznicki" (Holland, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Autism: From Tragedy to Triumph (Paperback)

Small children are the joys of our lives. They sing, dance, whine, cry, play, pretend and even copy what they see. So what if your child doesn't respond to your call or what if the child seems lost in its own world, then what?

In this 180-page story you'll find out the ways you can deal with autism and autistic children. You'll be given an excellent insight into what you can do and where to find help. The book should be a great help to those who have autistic children and have trouble finding answers.

The book shows how effective the Lovass Method is; I will not begin to claim I understand the method. I have read arguments on both sides, so I will leave the decision up to those who are facing the issue. I can say the authors believe it works and they present a persuasive argument.

Finally I think that this book shows you that there is help out for parents, from therapy groups to doctors. Branden Publishing can take great pride in this book, as like so many others, it is excellent reading.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Extremely Poor, March 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Autism: From Tragedy to Triumph (Paperback)

Poor English, poor editing,and poor spelling lead you through this unrealistic tale of how a mother in just a few miraculous weeks 'cures' her 31/2 year old son of autism over 20 years ago. For a similar but more realistic book and higher quality story and text I strongly suggest you read Catherine Maurice's 'LET ME HEAR YOUR VOICE'. I also suggest Donna Williams' books: 'NOBODY, NOWHERE' and 'SOMEBODY,SOMEWHERE' for a true inside look at Ms. Williams' life with autism, and her book 'AUTISM: AN INSIDE-OUT APPROACH',is an excellent book to examine just how complicated autism is, and the maizes and puzzles involved in sorting out the right kind of help for each individual diagnosed with autism.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Tragedy and Triumph, October 19, 2004

By 

Bonnie Sayers "autismfamily" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Autism: From Tragedy to Triumph (Paperback)

Part One covers the long road to diagnosis with Part II covering treatment and includes excerpts from the parent therapy log. There are also a few black and white photos in some of the chapters. The photos did not really have any affect on me and could have been left out. Also quite bothersome to this reader was the habit of smoking cigarettes that Julie had, plus the fact that never was this discussed on how detrimental it could be to her children.

I would advise future readers to read the foreword after the book was been finished. I found it confusing reading about the test scores and mention of whether Drew was actually autistic or not better digested after learning the family dynamics beforehand. It is hard to comprehend on one page the dedication to several people who volunteered in the fight for Drew's life and then learning he has been cured and no longer viewed as being on the spectrum. I find that hard to believe as a parent and really did not focus on that aspect.

Unfortunately Autism: From Tragedy to Triumph did not delve too far into the therapy, but centered more on the feelings of the mother through out the process of raising her kids and dealing with the stigma associated at the time known as Refrigerator Mothers. She left her husband who was not very involved with the kids and did not believe Drew was different from other kids. She did move to another State and the book glossed over much of their lives.

The only parts I could relate to was doing most of the work herself by seeing professionals and caring for the daily lives of her children and the hassle of driving on freeways with a child that might open a door or get out of their seat. I did feel for Julie when they first started working at the autism clinic at UCLA with her viewing from the two-way mirror and cringing when her son would cry and they would continue at the same pace.

Dr. Lovaas comes across as a caring and understanding professional and one of the first Julie came in contact when learning about autism. I did not agree with the requirements they maintained for being in the program. Julie was not allowed to mention that Drew had a disability when she enrolled him in school. I am not sure I would have done the same thing, but she maintained that secrecy and Drew supposedly turned out to be a normal child. The book really does a good job of sharing the struggles on a daily basis in the early years while raising three small kids and the sacrifices the siblings had to endure. In order to enroll Drew in the autism program Julie was informed her other son who was younger would have to be in a daycare program so she could concentrate fully on Drew.

I would have liked to read more about the progress Drew made with the therapy. It just seemed to focus much on the autism in the beginning sharing the habits of the child that clearly indicated he was autistic and then after an unspecified amount of therapy he no longer had the diagnosis. Apparently I missed something in the book to have it happen so quickly. I was not happy when I read how to keep Drew focused on therapy Julie would not be able to feed him in the morning and the appointment was set closer to the afternoon. The therapy seemed very rigid and not flexible with more focus on that than the child, but they triumphed in the end so what do I know.