Such an affecting and instructive story, and one told so very well: a father's relentless love for his son, offered time and again, no matter the boy's troubles. Here is human connection at its stirring, challenging best - and here is a lesson of family love for all of us to consider.
In this wonderfully written book, Hughes (English Truman Coll.) provides a vivid account of his experiences raising his autistic son, Walker. Hughes touches on many elements that make his narrative distinctive, including a father's point of view, experiences with home schooling.
Walker had autism. This book chronicles Walker's family life in Chicago, Illinois from Walker's birth to age 16 years. The book describes his parents' realization that something was wrong with walker, and their trials and tribulations in finding the clinical services he needed t each stage in his life. It details his educational experience from day care, through home schooling, and entry into specialized education. It vividly describes the daily situations the family faced raising Walker. Walker's brother, Davy, was always present in the story. His personal struggle having an elder brother with serious problems are also described.
The Journal of Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
I loved this book. Painful, funny and moving, it highlights the dilemma faced by parents of children with disabilities - the need to keep hope alive, and the fears and concerns of health professional. Good parents avoid labeling and focus on what is positive about their child. Health professionals deal in labels and focus on what is wrong with children. The clash seems inevitable. Robert Hughes writes with disarming honesty about the reality and complexity of parenting an autistic child and of the need to see Walker not as hopeless, but as a unique child with possibilities. Inspirational reading!
Running with Walker, a memoir by Robert Hughes, is a deeply reflective and detailed account of the life of his son Walker, who has autism. I loved this book and could not put it down. We are taken, step by step, feeling by feeling, through the family's landscape, and as such this book will be of intense interest to people living very close to autism. It is intelligent, self-deprecating and written with great warmth and candour. The book is full of practical examples of things that helped this family survive the most problematic periods and may be worth trying by other parents. I recommend this book to professionals and to parents for the enlightening detail and a quality of writing far and beyond what I have read before. One can't fail to learn a lot that is new and be reminded of the necessity of empathy and hope, and treating each person as an individual, as well as the necessity to provide good services.
Hughes (English, Truman Coll.) makes a wonderful addition to the growing number of personal narratives dealing with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD). While not purporting to provide anything more than an account of his experiences raising his autistic son, Walker (b. 1985), Hughes touches on many elements that make his narrative unique, including a father's point of view, experience with home schooling, marital stress, Walker's public behavior, and sibling issues with a younger brother who has obsessive compulsive disorder. As implied in the title, Hughes also describes the need for many ASD children to run freely, as he and Walker took many walks (and chases) through their hometown of Chicago. He and his wife's shortcomings and self-doubt-including not paying enough attention to their other son, losing patience, and their choices for Walker's education-are also candidly discussed. Exceptionally well written, Hughes's book uses great humor to help illustrate the patience often needed to raise children with special needs. Strongly recommended for public and academic libraries with education, disability, and ASD collections.-Corey Seeman, Univ. of Toledo Libs., OH Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
