Customer Reviews

A Friend Like Henry: The Remarkable True Story of an Autistic Boy and the Dog That Unlocked His World

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I kind of feel like I don't even know where to start talking about this book. I knew very little about what families with autistic children go through, and after reading this book, a first hand account of a mother with two autistic children, I feel I can empathize much more with the struggle they go through. And while all the daily tasks and events, the simple communications and learning events most parents take for granted are extraordinarily more difficult, this book is in no way a downer.

First of all, I think the Gardners are fantastic parents. They worked tirelessly to help their son live the most normal life he possibly could. After years of working with him and using his obsessions (such as with Mickey Mouse and Thomas the Tank Engine) to teach him about human emotions and connecting with other people to minimal results, they discovered he loved dogs. And so they researched and searched until they were able to find a golden retriever puppy...the breed they thought would be a perfect fit.

A wonderful testament to the glory of dogs, this dog loved their son and became a companion to him and helped this family "get their son back."

This book is the story of a life...of Jamie and Nuala's life, of Dale's life, and of Henry's life. It's about struggle and triumph...parental love and the love of a dog. It's profoundly moving, inspiring, and educational. I highly, highly recommend it. Just be sure to have a box of tissues nearby when you read....you'll need it.

a friend like henry,written by Nuala Gardner and published by Sourcebooks is a parents' book about autism...with all the fluffy bits removed. Honest, blunt, significant, rewarding. A well written, meaningful and very readable book.

a friend like henry is a book that tells the reader how frustrating, enlightening and magical living with autism can be, both for the person on the spectrum and those that live in the world parallel to ours.
I am happy to say that at no time in this book is it ever implied that Dale should be 'cured' of his autism, it is obvious throughout the book that the search is for coping mechanisms and behavioral modification.

One of the things I enjoyed most was that Nuala does not claim that pet therapy is the only solution to the above dilemma but she does openly and honestly share one way of using an autistic child's obsession to their family's best advantage.

One of the things I disliked the most about this book (besides the use of all lower case for the title and author name), was the way it rewired all my emotions and made me cry every few pages. I found that I had to pace myself through this book by reading it in between several others in order to give my emotions a break. I nearly couldn't continue on reading it at the end but I am not going to tell you why, as it will 'ruin' the ending for you. However, I am happy that I did carry on.

After reading this book I am still convinced that our N3S is still the child most likely to be savaged by a dog but I picked up a few tips encouraging on behavioral modification which we will apply through other mediums.

The section where Dale 'speaks' at the end of the book along with Nuala's afterword are nice twists and are the perfect ending to what I feel is a triumph of literary honesty. This is a very special book.

I speak as both an adult Aspie and a mother of an Aspie child when I say that this book will break your heart into several pieces and then show you interesting new ways to put it back together again.

On February 18, 1994 the Gardners made a fateful decision. They decided to go ahead and get a therapy dog, ostensibly a pet for their son Dale, who, then 5 had autism. Dale at that time was marginally verbal and devoted to his stuffed Mickey Mouse, Thomas the Tank and to following routines.

The dog, whom Dale named Henry after a character who was featured with Thomas the Tank would prove invaluable. He learned alongside with Henry. When Henry was being housebroken and rewarded with a treat each time he used the great outdoors, Nuala used this as a teaching moment for Dale. Dale, then 5 became fully toilet trained after seeing Henry master this skill. His drawing skills also improved. Shortly after Henry arrived, Dale drew a recognizable picture of a dog labelled "Henry." It was the first representational drawing he had made.

Nuala and Jamie Gardner would "talk" through the dog to teach Dale and communicate with him. They would pretend to "be" the dog and speak as if the dog were, as in "I love it when Dale plays with me," and "I wish Dale would share his blanket with me." In time, this method paid dividends. Dale's behavior became less autistic and by the time he was 7, was able to tolerate a birthday party. He was also able to accept seeing familiar objects in different settings, such as a tire being used as a swing. He had fewer meltdowns and ordinary words such as "okay," "proud" and "school" no longer sent him into a frenzy. By 2000, he was promoted to the local public school in his Scottish town.

Thanks to Henry, Dale's world expanded. He got to go to Disneyland for his 8th birthday in 1996. He almost got to move to Austin, TX when Jamie was exploring a job possibility at the well-known technology firm, AMD (American Micro Device).

In February of 2000, Dale, then nearly 12 became a brother. His sister Amy developed normally, but began displaying autistic tendencies within her first year. Since Henry was by then becoming elderly (he was 6 when Amy was born), a therapy dog was specially purchased for her. She named him Henry as a nod to Dale's wonderful dog. Her autistic behaviors were very different from those of her brother. She developed special interests and could stay focussed on them for interminably long periods.

Sadly, Henry died in April 2006 at the age of 12 (almost 13), but the legacy of his healing work will always live. Dale wrote an excellent postscript to this book and included a beautiful drawing of Henry.

Cowboy & Wills: A Love Story is another excellent book about how a boy with autism was moved off the spectrum with the help of his beloved dog. The Horse Boy: A Father's Quest to Heal His Son is yet another stellar book about how animals reached a child with autism.

This taught me so much about Autism. The biggest learning - Never give up - Never slow down - There is an end - Try everything anyone can think of - you can never know what might click for your child. Very interesting perpective at the end from the boy. Should be mandatory for all teachers and available to all families.

Scottish parents Nuala and Jamie are at their wits' end trying to help their severely austitic son, Dale. When visiting, they notice that Dale is showing interest in a dog, so they get him a golden retriever, whom he names Henry after one of the Thomas the Tank Engine characters. Nuala describes how Dale changes and progresses after Henry's arrival, becoming less withdrawn and more concerned with the feelings of others. This touching true story provides one more example of how a remarkable dog can help a person in need.

A friend like Henry. This is one of the best books I have ever read. It is based on a true story about an autistic boy and his dog. Not going into detail with this book as I wouldn't want to ruin it for anyone. But it is a must read;)

Very eye opening to the disease. I passed it along to a friend who works with a person like the main character.

My husband gave me A Friend Like Henry as a Christmas gift. By my own admission, I rarely read books, but this one grabbed and held my attention. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys sociological books, true stories, or just loves dogs. It is amazing what bringing home a little puppy can bring to one's life. It is about how a dog (Henry) opened doors for an autistic boy (Dale), but it is really about so much more. I can see myself reading it again.

Wonderful book! I am an animal lover and also an owner of a Golden Retriever. It's truly amazing at how these dogs really seem to sense the emotion you are feeling, whether it be happy, sad, angry, etc. Golden Retrievers make great therapy dogs. How the dog in this book helped this autistic boy come out of his shell and the bond that they shared was incredible and touching. This book also opened my eyes into the world of autism which I knew very little about. I learned about the daily struggles these families go through and how hard a parent must work at finding different ways to get through to their child. Excellent read.

A Friend Like Henry is a very touching story, filled with struggles. heart ache, pain, hapiness and mostly Love. I highly reccomend this book to anyone who is struggling with a child with Autism. I think this book helps to put into perspective the struggles a family can go through and how to make your way through keeping a positive attitude.