Customer Reviews

See Sam Run: A Mother's Story of Autism (Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Series)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

I preordered See Sam Run, and started reading it the day it arrived in my mailbox. The next morning, when I woke up with a stomach upset, I was thankful that I could call in sick and finish reading it.

This book took me on a familiar journey thorough the haze of denial, the thick fog of despair that descends when denial is no longer possible, then through the maze of discovery trying to find a professional who would listen without condescension or judgment, and provide the help we needed. What a relief to learn that I am not the only mother who has harbored those thoughts and feelings, faced the cold, bare truth, and fought and clawed her way through that maze.

The picture this narrative paints of Sam's day to day life helped me clarify and map our own journey. I cried traveling back through those painful memories. I cried for my son and Sam, for Peggy and Mark and me. Taking the journey with and through another helped heal the scars.

I laughed too. I laughed at the quirky, funny boy that is Sam. I laughed at the captions he wrote for the pictures. I laughed in relief that we have found, after all that running, an easier pace.

My son is not autistic. He has Sensory Integration Dysfunction. I'm not sure if he has something else because we gave up trying to find out. We decided to just deal with it. He now compensates beautifully.

There are many resources in the back of this book to help ease the journey other parents and children face. This book provides a map through the maze.

When a parent admits something is wrong and that they need help, why is it so torturous to find that help? That's the question I was left with after reading this book; and that is the question that needs an answer. You see, I'm not the only mother and Sam is not the only son!

Very touching book. I couldn't put it down once I started reading. This is one book I will let people know about.

How do you raise a child diagnosed with autism? "See Sam Run: A Mother's Story of Autism" is Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe's story of dealing with it. Look at the growing number of autism spectrum diagnoses, she wonders - is the diagnosis system improving, or is there something wrong with modern health? The numbers, while important, speak of nothing of the daily troubles parents must face. As she began to come to terms with her autistic son, she wrote her story down in "See Sam Run: A Mother's Story of Autism", highly recommended for community library collections.

Peggy is spot on. A good story about a mothers love and devotion to her child. Glad to have it on my shelf. I even bought it in hardback so it can sit on the coffee table.

I was paging through this book at my library, and found I couldn't put it down, so I checked it out. It's a truly wonderful story as told by a mother who gives us an insider's view when one suspects something is not quite right with a child. From her suspicions to finally getting confirmation about her son's autism diagnosis, your heart goes out to Peggy and the family. Seeing how she handled things while simultaneously dealing with career/job issues, moving, having another child, and dealing with prfessionals who didn't have answers for her, the story is very touching, and the photos illustrated the episodes so well. I do think the end wrapped up a bit too quickly and abruptly. Still, seeing Sam grown up at the end, such a well-adjusted, bright, handsome, lively young man makes you feel proud and pulls on your heartstrings. I hope Sam writes a follow-up book detailing his progress, how he sees the world, and what he remembers growing up. It would be so interesting to read! Great job, Peggy,(and Mark) and thanks for the resources you listed for the rest of us just embarking on this road.