Stand Up for Autism

Stand Up for Autism

A Boy, a Dog, and a Prescription for Laughter

Author

When we tell someone that our child is autistic, the most common response is a sad face and an apologetic look. I hate it when people say "I'm sorry to hear that".

Parenting a child on the autistic spectrum can be tough at the best of times, but few books take the time to celebrate the love and laughter an autistic child can elicit in their parents and those around them. In this warm, honest and laugh-out-loud tale of bringing up Bobby, now ten, Georgina Derbyshire shares and rejoices in his 'slightly different' childhood.

As she outlines momentous events in Bobby's life, from the day he decided he was a dog (continuing life as a canine for a year afterwards), to the time he catapulted an innocent shopper into a mountain of strawberries, Georgina repeatedly challenges the perception of autism as an affliction, maintaining that neurotypical people often make far less sense. Through her light-hearted and hilarious storytelling, she reveals how social codes and psychological games make the neurotypical world a very confusing place to live in, more so than ever if you happen to be a young boy with a passion for rocks, tape measures and trains.

This book is a must for anybody involved in the upbringing of an autistic child, whether they are in search of a little comfort, companionship, light relief - or all three.

Published: 2010-05-15
144 pages 215 x 140mm
ISBN 9781849050999
£9.99
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Press reviews for: Stand Up for Autism

Youth in Mind

Stand up for Autism by Georgina J. Derbyshire is a delightful and light-hearted book about the author's son, Bobby, who has Autism... the author takes us on the insightful journey through Bobby's life and, in doing so, helps demonstrate how Autism is something that should be celebrated and embraced... This book is strongly recommended not only to parents and families with an autistic child, but also to anyone who comes into contact with or is planning to work with such families.

Red Reading Hub - Jillrbennett's Reviews of Children's Books

A book that explains stammering in a concise, accessible manner and uses the voices of children and young people to explain how it feels from their viewpoint, clears up the myths that surround it and offers a wealth of advice as to how parents, teachers and friends can help and support, is surely a real treasure. This book does all that and more.

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders

"Stand Up for Autism" is a book written by a mother, Georgina Derbyshire, about her own experiences of having a young son with autism.... It is a readable detailed narrative of a parent's experience, not just a mother's and that experiences' meaning to other relationships in Derbyshire's life. Using examples from her life with her son, Derbyshire addresses basic questions that families/parents might themselves go through: Should I explain my child to strangers? How do I manage my autistic child on a plane? How do I get to sleep?

Publishers Weekly

Derbyshire shares humorous anecdotes, as in a chapter titled "Barking at Parents and Toddlers," and disastrous trips to the supermarket; "not my idea of fun" the author says (a runaway cart; an unsuspecting shopper in the produce aisle). She relays snippets of the amusing daily she has with her son and conveys her tale with deliberate lightness and wit.

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