Customer Reviews

My Sad is All Gone: A Family's Triumph over Violent Autism

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Thelma Wheatley clearly describes the heartache and terrors of raising a child with special needs : Julian's was autism. Her son became a worry as a toddler and an uncontrollable teen. My Sad Is All Gone documents how Thelma and her family fought the medical system of her area in Ontario, Canada, which pushed to put Julian into an institution. They struggled to get placement in proper schools and therapy for him. Thelma Wheatley did much research and home schooled Julian for much of the time.
Exhausting as this caring route was, the Wheatleys did finally meet Dr. Joseph Huggins in Toronto. Gradually, the best medications and routine for Julian were found. After nearly 20 years of determined searching, their son now works contentedly and shares happy family times again.
This book will inspire other parents, family members and friends to continue to seek answers for ways to improve the life of their special needs child - whatever each one's handicap or disease may be. New solutions are a great reward for all.
Read this book, then follow Thelma Wheatley's steps and be a winner in your child's life.

Bernice Lever

When Julian Orchard was born in late 1976, more knowledge about autism was available. What makes this book so distinct is that it is the first book that I know of to focus on autism resources in Canada and of one family's efforts in Canada to help their son who had autism.

In addition to having autism, Julian was developmentally delayed; his language skills lagged and he engaged in self injurius behaviors (SIB). He was taken to specialists from infancy and one doctor, believing that the boy's family would never read the records she kept described him and his sister, 5 years his senior in very racist terms.

Julian made progress in the special classes he attended and the ancillary activities, such as the special olympics and the summer camps and baseball teams he participated in. Sadly, his speech remained echolalic and once he reached puberty, he became violent. He referred to himself in the third person; threatened to kill various members of the family and was put on medications. In 1993, Julian had a bad reaction to the medications he was taking. He suffered neck spasms and somatic pains; he became more and more violent. After one especially alarming attack, the boy had to be committed. To top off this family's challenges, daughter Polly was diagnosed with Hodgkins in 1995. One wonders how Polly is and if she made a full recovery as this was never stated in the book.

After years of searching for appropriate placements, the Orchards were directed to Dr. Joseph Huggins. A bright, progressive man, Dr. Huggins worked tirelessly on Julian's behalf. He worked with the family instead of denying them access to information; obtained their permission to write about Julian's reaction to the pharmaceutical cocktail he had been prescribed and took a personal interest in Julian and never once talked down to him. Dr. Huggins, through time, dedication and effort was able to prescribe medication and adjust it (which other doctors were loath to do, insisting that they were right when it was obvious Julian was having adverse reactions) based on Julian's needs.

Over time, Julian was able to graduate from his special needs program and obtain jobs in the community. Photographs show how Julian evolved from a cute, Beatle-coiffed boy and Beatle mopped (Lennon Look) teen into a very nice looking man who appears to be at home in his world and of the limitations he has to work from.

This is an excellent book that also provides a history of care and treatment of people with a myriad of special needs in Canada and the growing need for these resources.

This book goes hand in hand with "Spinning Straw: The Jeff Apple Story," a book about another young man with autism; severe developmental lags and a history of SIBs. These two books (interestingly, the two young men have linked or similar themed surnames) go well together, like Lennon & McCartney.