The Boy Who Loved Windows
Opening the Heart and Mind of a Child Threatened With Autism
by Patricia StaceyFrom the moment she first saw him, Walker's mother was convinced that there was something wrong with her son. By the time that Walker was 6 monthes old, it was confirmed. Walker had Sensory Integration Disorder. Walker's father ran a search online and found out that SI Disorder was associated with autism, and joined Walker's mother in panicking. Walker's parents ran intervention exhaustively for years. With special play and special diet, Walker passed all milestones. By the end of the book, Walker's functioning is good enough not to seem abnormal to his mother.
Although Patricia Stacey presents her struggle with son as dramatically important, she didn't convince me. Her story is too melodramatic and hysterical. Stacey's focus on her son to the exclusion of her husband and daughter don't seem all that heroic to me, and her imagings of Walker's future are dire to ridiculous degrees. Due to Walker's age, it is also difficult to see Walker's delays. He is at the age where communication with a default child would not be especially clear. An interesting note: Stacey believes that Walker's SI problems are due to the terbutaline shot she recieved while pregnant.
Happy reading
