The powerful story of a mother’s determination
to see her son thrive against seemingly
insurmountable odds.
‘Autists are the ultimate square pegs, and the problem with pounding a square peg into a round hole,
is not that the hammering is hard work, it’s that you’re destroying the peg.’
There are those who recognise only too well the poor communication skills, repetitive behaviours and the obsession with often bizarrely mundane objects, as a child with autism.
For some, this recognition is swept under a veil of justifications, the occasional favourable comparison, but mostly the sheer blind hope that one day the differences will quite simply cease to be.
Hearing your child has Autism, is to accept that your ordinary dreams, shared by every parent, of having a happy, healthy 'normal' child are dashed and broken into a thousand pieces, with nothing left to do but tidy them away quietly.
This is the story of Aaron, who found his way in a strange world, and his mother, Amelia, who tenaciously took each and every one of those messy, complicated smashed remnants of dreams and glued them together with the bonds of faith, family and love.
This book is a journey; from the expectant joy of pregnancy, followed by those first moments of rising anxiety at the increasingly obvious differences between your child and everyone elses child. The diagnosis and the silent scream that accompanies it.
Rather than being about despair, this book is about rising from it. It will become your go-to book for inspiration, guidance and emergent therapies. More than that, it describes the importance of forging loving and considerate relationships, and embracing faith as an ally, a sustainer and comforter.
'As for Aaron himself, he is a delightful young man. We are allowed into the honesty of his struggles; his questions of 'why me?' as well as his own spiritual development, his inspiring progress and determination to the learn the behaviours which would allow him to fit-in with others. The result - he has officially lost his autism stigma.'
Pastor Anne Iuliano, North Shore Christian Centre, Sydney.
‘I see many children on the autistic spectrum in my clinical practice and every child is different. I cannot imagine the life that goes on behind closed doors. A Rude Awakening is an inspirational account of one such family’ .
Dr Anthony Lui; Consultant Paediatrician (Sydney)
'A must-read for families confronting autism. This book offers pragmatic suggestions for coping with the uncertainties of behaviour of children with autism. Autism has such a wide spectrum that plausibly no two cases are alike.'
Dato' Leela Mohd Ali; CEO, Penyayang
'I recommend this loving book to all parents of children with autism, and those who are called to be encouragers alongside. As the prophet Micah said 'How can two walk together except that they be agreed' (Amos 3:3)
Rev. Chris Choo; Barrister of Law, Inner Temple, London. Pastor, St Peter's Anglican Church, Ipoh.
'It is a book that everyone must read. It will enlighten us on what the power of love can accomplish. Read it, understand it, experience it and declare it'.
Rev. Wong Kim Kong (General Secretary, NECF)