Laughing & Loving with Autism: A Collection of "Real Life" Warm & Humorous Stories [Paperback]

R Wayne Gilpin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1993

If you know and love a child with autism, this book will warm your heart! R. Wayne Gilpin, founder of Future Horizons, Inc., has compiled humorous anecdotes revealing his son Alex's wisdom and wit. (Alex's sense of humor is legendary.) Mingled with uplifting stories from other parents of children with autism, Laughing and Loving with Autism was born. Be sure to check out the two sequels: More Laughing and Loving with Autism, and Much More Laughing and Loving with Autism.

 

Helpful sections include:

• Laughing
• Music
• Sexual / Improper Language
• Church
• Facilitated Communication
• Home
• Out Into the "Real" World
• School

 

Editorial Reviews

Review

“It educated me on autism more than any clinical book I’ve read and I laughed and cried while learning."
Psychologist
 

“You can’t imagine how much I could relate my own experiences to these stories."
Special Education Diagnostician

 

“I’d almost swear that you were reading through my case files—I loved the book."
Pediatrician

 

About the Author

Wayne Gilpin founded the Future Horizons publishing company in 1996. Before that, he was publishing car repair guides and law books. But his son’s diagnosis of autism rerouted his career path. He joined the Autism Society of America and was voted president in 1987. Collecting as much information on autism as he could, Wayne was saddened by the fact that all of the resources at the time were very negative and offered little hope for his son. But his experience told a different story. His son Alex was a gentle, honest, and intelligent person, and Wayne was confident that Alex would overcome his obstacles and defy the odds. To bring a little light into the autism community, he compiled and published a book called Laughing and Loving with Autism. It contained humorous and touching stories from parents of children with autism. It was the first book to really capture the positive aspects of these kids, and it gave other parents hope. Now, over 100 books and DVDs later, Future Horizons is the leading autism publisher in the world.

Product Details

• Paperback: 127 pages
• Publisher: Future Horizons (January 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 188547704X
• ISBN-13: 978-1885477040
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,118,586 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars If you love someone with autism you will relate to this book, November 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Laughing & Loving with Autism: A Collection of "Real Life" Warm & Humorous Stories (Paperback)

It was refreshing to read true-to-life accounts of situations similar to what we have encountered with our 15 year old son who has autism. This is a book that you must read if you love someone who has autism. You will laugh and cry as you identify with the situations.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Laughing and Loving with Autism, October 20, 2004

By 

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

This review is from: Laughing & Loving with Autism: A Collection of "Real Life" Warm & Humorous Stories (Paperback)

There are stories devoted to laughing, music, church, facilitated communication, home, out in the "real" world and school. An amusing illustration shows a boy standing up in church raising his hands like the priest. The boy thought he was cheering like his father did when watching football so he yelled out "touchdown" thinking this was a signal.

This compilation of real life warm and humorous stories gives an inside look at the unique views those with autism hold. Reading through Laughing and Loving with Autism gives the perspective on seeing the world through the eyes of someone who is autistic, whether they are a child or adult, boy or girl. As a parent it is very easy to relate to these stories and see this happening in my future as well. The contributions were not altered in any way with the original content they submitted still intact.

While there are many books on the subject of Autism this is one that I truly appreciated and would rather see on the coffee table than a textbook that is outdated. These stories are priceless no matter how old they are.

Laughing and Loving with Autism is a book to be shared with teachers, therapists, family members and professionals to better understand the humorous side to the autistic person. This is the perfect book to read at the end of the evening to put it all in perspective.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not really the best idea for parents of newly diagnosed kids, December 30, 2010

By 

BeckyFS (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Laughing & Loving with Autism: A Collection of "Real Life" Warm & Humorous Stories (Paperback)

I purchased this book when my son was first diagnosed with ASD, hoping to find some encouragement. It sent me into an emotional tailspin. For the most part, the children highlighted are more on the extreme end of the spectrum (non-verbal, etc.), so to me these stories confirmed my worst fears: a future of embarrassment and awkwardness. A year later, I am starting to see the reality of my situation and can find humor in certain situations. However, I still cringe at some of my son's social behaviors (what I perceive as judgment from others) and continue to struggle with the unknown future. I would just encourage parents new to autism to wait on this book. I just didn't find it inspirational or uplifting. I feel it is more laughing as a stress outlet, if that makes sense.