Our Brown-Eyed Boy

Rating:
Summary: Terrible Book!
Review: Author doesn't believe in any biological interventions and feels you should just accept you kid's disability and get on with it. Needs to spell check his work also.

Rating:
Summary: Author Shows Vision
Review: I found the book thoughtful and enlightening. It provides a view in to the life of a family with a child at need. The book engenders a feeling of understanding and compassion for children in need. It also made me more appreciative and understanding of my children. I suggest all parents read the this though provoking book.

Rating:
Summary: Walking in his shoes
Review: I was deeply moved by Jeff McAndrew's book, "Our Brown Eyed Boy" on many levels. Since my own son's diagnosis of autism recently, I began the desperate search for material to answer the numerous questions that plague a parent's mind. For me, the quest for knowledge is a healing one usually. What I find most difficult of all, however, is that this quest is often confusing or unfulfilled. That's what makes Jeff's book so unique.

"Our Brown Eyed Boy", while informational and educational, probes the autism issues from an entirely different perspective. Rather than focusing on the issue in a clinical and inhumane fashion, Jeff tackles the issues from a parent's perspective. He makes it clear time and again that feelings, not theories, are the important part of understanding autism. Through my own experience, I can relate to the fact that this is often the case. Many people, in the desire to seek a "cure" or coping method for autism, attempt to tackle the symptoms rather than addressing the person behind the symptoms. This theme recurs time and again throughout this personal account, and often leads to disillusionment between parents and other family members.

The basis for Jeff's approach to discussing autism is honesty. The tone of this book is refreshing because Jeff brings to life that which we are often afraid to say. This models precisely the type of advocate parents must be for their children with special needs. This honesty is particularly poignant when Jeff discusses what effect their son's autism has had not only on their marriage, but on their typical son, not to mention those in the community. In one passage Jeff discusses a trip to Burger King for his sons and his wife at which another woman commented on how his wife handled the outing saying she couldn't control her children. Jeff responds by suggesting that anyone in the community should begin by stepping, even if only for a moment, in the shoes of that parent, and see if that makes a difference in their perception. As I read this portion, I, like many other parents of autistic children I'm sure, wanted to stand up and say Amen to that.

Above all, however, Jeff points out that unconditional love for the child and for other members of the family is vital to maintaining a recognizable family life. The strength of this message is not in suggesting love, but in his understanding statements regarding how difficult that unconditional love can be in any family, not to mention those dealing with special needs. This is a powerful message for many parents who are often caught up in the crossfire between love, frustration, and guilt, and it is a message that, as astronaut Deke Slayton once said, needs to be said again and again with fierce conviction.

Rating:
Summary: Terrible Book!
Review: Jeff McAndrew tells the story of living with and loving his son Stephen, who happens to have autism. The straight-forward, open approach to a wide variety of topics should be of great help to other families dealing with this condition. I especially appreciated the addition of comments of others - parents and professionals - who also are concerned about children with disabilities. It's important to remember that interventions which are effective for one child with autism may not be at all helpful to another, and vice versa. Finding interventions that work, as well as a strong support network, can make a critical difference in a family's ability to enjoy and appreciate a special child such as Stephen.

Rating:
Summary: A Loving Dad Shares His Story
Review: Jeff McAndrew tells the story of living with and loving his son Stephen, who happens to have autism. The straight-forward, open approach to a wide variety of topics should be of great help to other families dealing with this condition. I especially appreciated the addition of comments of others - parents and professionals - who also are concerned about children with disabilities. It's important to remember that interventions which are effective for one child with autism may not be at all helpful to another, and vice versa. Finding interventions that work, as well as a strong support network, can make a critical difference in a family's ability to enjoy and appreciate a special child such as Stephen.