Building Blocks

I recently had a parent come up to me and recommend a great book about a family with a child who is autistic.  House Rules by Jodi Picoult looks at what it means to be different in our society, how autism affects a family, and how our legal system works well for people who communicate a certain way - and fails those who don't.  As I am reading this book, it opens my eyes to the world of a young man with Asperger's and his family.  Broken up into chapters reflecting perspectives of Jacob, his younger brother, his mother, and others who pass through his life, this novel shares insight into what it may be like living with autism. 

As an occupational therapist in Charlotte, I only experience a small snapshot of the life of a child with autism and his/her family.  Thus, it is difficult for me to grasp exactly what it may be like living with this child or being this child 24 hours of the day, 7 days a week.  This book gives me a somewhat better idea of how difficult it is for the child who is autistic, his/her parents, and his/her siblings.

I admire parents who come in and out of our pediatric therapy clinic with such amazing strength, hope, and courage for their children.  They are a source of joy and encouragement to me and those around them.

To learn more about autism or to help support the Autism Society, please visit www.autism-society.org.