worth reading

[creamteas]

HI all,

Have any of you read Kathy Lette's new book The Boy who Fell to Earth? I've just finished it and I think it is a really good account of life with an ASD child.

I'm going to make it complusory reading for all friends and family who just don't get it :)

No. Is it any good?

I don't generally like popular fiction of that kind.

I have read it, did find some of it quite good. Though I did want to shout at the mother character to fight harder for a suitable school for her son! Kathy Lette was on Daybreak yesterday talking about her son, think she is really trying to raise awareness of autism. When Kate garraway said to her "but everything is alright now for your son"' she said " no it will never be all alright, life is hard for him, he is working as a volunteer in oxfam but life is hard.". sorry can't remember exactly what she said but I did like the fact she told her straight that autism does not go away just because you have grown up.

I really identified with some of the book, and enjoyed it more than others I have read around ASD.

I think that if they are written well, fiction is a good way of increasing understanding of the issues. People I know are much more likely to read this than listen to any information I give them.

Whilst I know it the school issue could have been resolved better, the description of how hard it is to get a decent education for SEN children regardless of a statement being in place is worth publicising IMO.