House Rules by Jodi Picoult
An autistic teenage boy who loves forensics becomes the center of suspicion in a murder. I'm actually not done with this book but I really wanted to share it because it is SO accurate. Not every detail is exactly like our experience but the overall picture is. The main character in the book is 18 years old and he has Asperger's Syndrome. I have heard some say that Asperger's is on the high-functioning end of the autism spectrum and others have said that Asperger's is something seperate from autism. So I don't know for sure. But as far as this book is concerned, I felt that the author expressed each individual's experiences so well. I (obviously) related so well to the mom. There are things I've never even been able to express to my own best friend, my hubby. He's in this journey too, and sometimes we just look at each other and say "This is REALLY hard. I don't think I can do this anymore." One daily reality for us is dealing with Bubba when he goes into a meltdown. Here's an excerpt from the book that is so true:
"Dealing with an autistic meltdown is like dealing with a tornado. Once you are close enough to see it coming, there's nothing to do but weather the storm. Unlike a child having a temper tantrum, Jacob doesn't care is his behaviour is making me react. He doesn't make sure he's not hurting himself. He isn't doing it in order to get something. In fact, he's not in control of himself at all. And unlike when he was four or five, I'm not big enough to control him anymore."
What we don't see in Bubba that was evident in this story is the language. More than ever lately he has been making these strange sounds with his mouth. It's almost like what you would do to entertain a baby. He is gaining in the language department over time, but I continually wonder if we will ever have a real conversation. I love him so much it hurts. I just want to connect with him.
I put this book out there with a caution, because it does contain some language. I generally hate/don't read anything with language in it, but I feel like this book is helping me to understand my feelings about our situation so much better.
3 comments:
i love jodi picoult. i think she's an amazing writer. she must be an expert in so many areas because it seems that she does SO MUCH research on the topics she writes about. they all (so far) have seemed that they could be "based on a true story"!!!
thanks for the 'nother book review. i appreciate them! <3
Asperger's is on the autism spectrum, so much so that in the next DSM (our diagnostic manual) they will no longer specify between Asperger's, Autism, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder, instead they will all be the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. So, it's completely understandable that you relate so well to the book. Glad Ryan is gaining in his language, I'll continue to pray that his language and all other skill areas continue to improve! Also, glad that you are finding some great books lately! I look forward to reading them!
Thanks Traci! I should have thought to ask you. :)
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