Strange Son: Two Mothers, Two Sons, and the Quest to Unlock the Hidden World of Autism (Abridged)

by Portia Iversen Narrated by Jane Kaczmarek

Overview

The uplifting true story of two mothers from opposite sides of the world united to help their sons.

Portia Iversen's life was turned upside down when her two-year-old son Dov was diagnosed with autism. Desperate to find a treatment, Portia was shocked to learn that almost nothing was known about the disorder, which only a handful of researchers were studying.

When Portia heard of a severely autistic nonverbal boy in India whose mother had taught him to read and write, she arranged for mother and son to visit the United States to help researchers understand what can be learned from their success. Soma Mukhopadhyay's achievement was truly astonishing: not only could her son Tito communicate, but he had an IQ of 185 and wrote beautiful poetry. Her revolutionary teaching method allowed Tito to explain the startling differences in his sensory perception, offering scientists an unrivaled window into the autistic mind.

Part memoir, part detective story, Strange Son is the captivating account of these families' extraordinary journeys, an inspiring tale of the power of two mothers' determination to find hope where there was once only despair.

Editorial Reviews

APR/MAY 07 - AudioFile

Jane Kaczmarek tracks the winding path of Portia Iversen’s journey to understand her autistic son, Dov, diagnosed at age 2. Kaczmarek’s narration captures Iversen’s frustrations as she goes from specialist to specialist, who can tell her little about her son’s disability, particularly how to bridge his communication deficits. Kaczmarek voices Iversen’s determination as she takes on the task herself, studying microbiology, founding an organization to help autistic children, and building a relationship with the startling, bright autistic Indian poet Tito Mukhopadhyay. Kaczmarek recounts Iversen’s successes in identifying and leading research scientists in efforts to understand autism and in finally seeing her own child learn to communicate more effectively. S.H.W. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine

APR/ MAY 07 - AudioFile

Jane Kaczmarek tracks the winding path of Portia Iversen’s journey to understand her autistic son, Dov, diagnosed at age 2. Kaczmarek’s narration captures Iversen’s frustrations as she goes from specialist to specialist, who can tell her little about her son’s disability, particularly how to bridge his communication deficits. Kaczmarek voices Iversen’s determination as she takes on the task herself, studying microbiology, founding an organization to help autistic children, and building a relationship with the startling, bright autistic Indian poet Tito Mukhopadhyay. Kaczmarek recounts Iversen’s successes in identifying and leading research scientists in efforts to understand autism and in finally seeing her own child learn to communicate more effectively. S.H.W. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940171062200
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster
Publication date:	12/28/2006
Edition description:	Abridged

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