Rachael Lee Harris spent her early childhood locked in an autistic fog until beginning her journey from a fragmented world to one in which things began to make sense. Rachael’s determination to take her place in society led her down many paths, from beauty therapist to Catholic nun, from mother and wife to divorcee and working mom. Today, she is a psychotherapist specializing in helping others on the Autism Spectrum.
Rachael’s story explores areas such as schooling, family relationships, employment, travel, and faith culminating in monastic life, motherhood, dating, and marriage. Through her story, we get a more “rounded” positive vision of how an autistic life can develop and insight into the benefits of being “on the spectrum” alongside the very real picture of its challenges. Addressing the culture of disability and negativity that surrounds so much of the public perception of the Autism Spectrum, Rachael presents a more moderate and perhaps more objective assessment of her own life experiences, as well as the potential for others on the Spectrum.
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Autism rates are on the rise, and many parents wonder what the lives of their children may be like in the future. This story of one woman’s experience growing up with Asperger’s illustrates both the experiences and obstacles someone on the spectrum may face—and offers hope that they may lead successful, rewarding, and very rich lives.
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Contents
Foreword by Tony Attwood
Introduction
1The Wanderer
2School Daze
3Curiouser and Curiouser
4Wired for Wonder
5A Gaze Returned
6A Turn for the Worst
7‘It’s a Living’
8The Old Country
9A Fork in the Road
10Paris
11The Monastery
12Mirages and Minarets
13Homecoming
14A Cautionary Tale
15Like Mother, Like son
16My Brilliant Career
17Buyer Beware!
18The Prawns of Fate
19‘Physician, Heal Thyself’
Epilogue - Full Circle
Bibliography
Websites
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From childhood on, Harris knew she was different from other children. . . .Asperger's syndrome had yet to be widely diagnosed, and Harris was labeled by those outside her family as troublesome and uncooperative. In her insightful memoir, Harris recalls vividly her attempts to fit in at school, her search to find a place in the world (which included a three-year stay in a convent), her unhappy marriage, her becoming a mother, and, finally, her successful career as a psychotherapist and advocate. Along the way, she breaks through the usual stereotypes and shares the invaluable perspective of someone on the autism spectrum. Harris is careful to point out the genuine benefits of the syndrome (attention to detail, sensory sensitivity) as well as its challenges and speculates that many talented people have shared this condition. Harris' chronicle is honest and involving and will give readers a useful and uplifting understanding of Asperger's.
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Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9781442244498
Publisert
2015-04-09
Utgiver
Vendor
Rowman & Littlefield
Vekt
490 gr
Høyde
234 mm
Bredde
162 mm
Dybde
23 mm
Aldersnivå
G, 01
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Innbundet
Antall sider
232
Forfatter