Running with Walker

'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.'– Robert Coles, James Agee Professor of Social Ethics, Harvard UniversityBy the time he was three, Walker's parents were concerned enough about his delayed development to consult a paediatric neurologist. Doctors diagnosed autism and issued a grim prognosis: 'I hold out no hope for this child'. But they hadn't accounted for Walker's intelligence, affection, and sense of humour – or for the remarkable bonds that grew within his family.Walker's father, Robert Hughes, tells a touching and inspiring story of discovering that their 'perfect little boy had a problem'. With disarming honesty and humour, the book tells how a family copes and keeps hope alive despite the staggering difficulties autism presents. Contents: Prologue: Christmas Party, 1997. 1. A New Cult. 2. ''Denial''. 3. Brothers. 4. Yes and No. 5. Child Development to the Rescue. 6. Homeschooling I: Cemetery School. 7. Homeschooling II: Running with Walker. 8. The Two Walkers. 9. ''Nothing is Written''. 10. Maureen. 11. Yearning. 12. The Apocalypse. 13. Davy Crashes. 14. Liftoff? 15. Apocalypse, Again. 16. Hope. Epilogue, June 2001.