Customer Reviews

Fragile Success: Nine Autistic Children, Childhood to Adulthood

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I think this book should come with a warning label for parents. This book may be fascinating and interesting, but it is too scary for parents. As an educator, I read with great interest. As a parent, it left me in tears, as I contemplated what adulthood would be like for my son with autism.

Our knowledge and understanding of autism has changed drastically since the sixties and seventies. It is heartbreaking to realize how the individuals in this book could have benefitted from some of the therapies and teaching strategies that our kids today are receiving.

I fail to see how this book can do anything for parents, but scare them. There is little correlation between autistic children raised and educated in the 60's and 70's and autistic children being raised and educated today. The addition of early childhood intervention alone is having a profound impact on the lives of children.

There are many other books that offer more insight and hope.

This book is a must-read for anyone who is a parent or caregiver to a child with developmental problems such as mental retardation or autism. We would also recommend it to professionals who deal with such children and adults, as it includes the parent's perspective in dealing with handicapped offspring - something every professional should be aware of and sensitive to. As parents of a mildly retarded child with autism, we found this book to be extremely enlightening. People with handicapped children often feel that they are alone in dealing with their problems, and have no concept of how their child's life may develop as they grow older. Mrs. Sperry has done a wonderful job of chronicling the lives of several children with varying degrees of handicaps, from their early childhood to their present adult lives. It gives hope and understanding to the parent/caregiver, and assurance that others share their trials and triumphs, frustrations and dreams.

This collection of true case histories of children with autism who have grown to adulthood is a major contribution, and should be read by every parent of a child with autism, as well as by professionals who deal with childhood disabilities. I've seen no other book that follows children with autism for more than 30 years. The author is a former teacher who has followed the lives, habits, work, hobbies and social relations of her former pupils from pre-school to their late 30s or 40 years of age. The result is a fascinating, often moving, account of how they have come to terms with their disability and the world around them.