Valerie Paradi has written a moving and eloquent chronicle of the diagnosis of her son, Elijah, with Asperger's syndrome and their journey together into the world of high-functioning autism. Her book is an important addition to the literature of autism, full of beautifully observed moments. Oliver Sacks, author of The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a HatSixty years ago, my father, the Austrian pediatrician Hans Asperger revealed the appealing and often overlooked qualities of these unusual children. He also showed how we even find some resonance of their difficult traits within ourselves. Now it's time for us to hear more directly the voice of autistic people and that of their parents. Valerie Paradi has given us a precious gift of a book, full of her own experiences with her son. Maria Asperger, Child PsychiatristValerie Paradi has written an honest, artistic and very human account of the impact of this exceptional and controversial social-political movement on her life and that of her colourful son, Elijah. She captures how this sometimes mind-blowing social adventure in a world rarely visited by most people expanded their lives and helped shape a different place of belonging in the world. Donna Williams, author of Nobody NowhereThis provocative and pioneering book is both a refreshing exploration of the history of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and a powerful story of the author's own struggle with her son Elijah's Asperger's Syndrome.From her first inklings of Elijah's difference to her discovery of a whole spectrum of another way of life that includes everything from civil rights organizations for autistics to Asperger artists, Valerie Paradi describes how she decided to cross what she calls cultural boundaries' to overcome her fears about her son's condition. Her inspiring narrative offers compelling insights into daily life with Elijah's Asperger's syndrome and her own shadow syndrome', which affects many family members of autistics. It is also a celebration of the idiosyncratic beauty of the Asperger mind and the sense of mutual support and self-respect in the ASD community. This revised edition includes a contribution from Elijah and a new chapter that brings the story up-to-date: the author successfully sets up a specialist educational unit for Asperger pupils, Elijah experiences his first two years of school, and the author's dawning recognition of her own Asperger's Syndrome leads to major life changes.Elijah's Cup offers moving and insightful observations as well as factual information for parents and anyone working with people with ASDs.
Acknowledgements. Preface. 1. Elijah's Cup. 2. The Gift of Loss. 3. Perfect Strangers. 4. The Coincidence of Sharron Loree. 5. Nietzsche in the Bathtub. 6. My Father was a Yakker. 7. Echolalia Fun Fun Fun. 8. Balloon Days. 9. Cartoons Don't Get Hurt. 10. Life Under Glass. 11. Playground Comedian. 12. Cracking Code. 13. Epilogue. 14. A Few Words from Elijah. Websites by and for Autistic People and Autistic Advocacy. Notes. Index
Valerie Paradi has written a moving and eloquent chronicle of the diagnosis of her son, Elijah, with Asperger's syndrome and their journey together into the world of high-functioning autism. Her book is an important addition to the literature of autism, full of beautifully observed moments. - Oliver Sacks, author of The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat Sixty years ago, my father, the Austrian pediatrician Hans Asperger revealed the appealing and often overlooked qualities of these unusual children. He also showed how we even find some resonance of their difficult traits within ourselves. Now it's time for us to hear more directly the voice of autistic people and that of their parents. Valerie Paradi has given us a precious gift of a book, full of her own experiences with her son. - Maria Asperger, Child Psychiatrist Valerie Paradi has written an honest, artistic and very human account of the impact of this exceptional and controversial social-political movement on her life and that of her colourful son, Elijah. She captures how this sometimes mind-blowing social adventure in a world rarely visited by most people expanded their lives and helped shape a different place of belonging in the world. - Donna Williams, author of Nobody Nowhere
