Strange Son

Two Mothers, Two Sons, and the Quest to Unlock the Hidden World of Autism

De: Portia Iversen

Narrado por: Jane Kaczmarek

The uplifting true story of two mothers from opposite sides of the world united to help their sons.

Portia Iversen's life was turned upside down when her two-year-old son Dov was diagnosed with autism. Desperate to find a treatment, Portia was shocked to learn that almost nothing was known about the disorder, which only a handful of researchers were studying.

When Portia heard of a severely autistic nonverbal boy in India whose mother had taught him to read and write, she arranged for mother and son to visit the United States to help researchers understand what can be learned from their success. Soma Mukhopadhyay's achievement was truly astonishing: not only could her son Tito communicate, but he had an IQ of 185 and wrote beautiful poetry. Her revolutionary teaching method allowed Tito to explain the startling differences in his sensory perception, offering scientists an unrivaled window into the autistic mind.

Part memoir, part detective story, Strange Son is the captivating account of these families' extraordinary journeys, an inspiring tale of the power of two mothers' determination to find hope where there was once only despair.©2006 Portia Iversen; (P)2006 Simon and Schuster Inc. All rights reserved.

Meh.

Would you listen to Strange Son again? Why?

No. The author had a 'know it all' attitude, despite constantly admitting she doesn't understand how the other Mother in the book is able to teach non-verbal autistic kids to write. The whole book can be summarized like this: I know how to use this method better than the poor woman from outside the USA does. I don't know what the method is, but I think she should change it. She thinks these kids can learn even more but I don't think so. I have formed a charity so I have tons of money to use, as long as we do it my way. I told her my way is better over and over and over but she just left. Now I have to try to figure out how she does it so I can be in control. Me. Me. Meeeeeee.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Strange Son?

The thousand times the author mentions 'her' ideas came from another woman, then she proceeds to bash the other woman.

Which scene was your favorite?

When the other woman gets fed up and leaves.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I REALLY wish there was a book by Tito and/or his Mom.

Any additional comments?

Most other books on Autism are better.

AWESOME!!

What a wonderfully inspiring book. I'd highly recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about autism, or simply struggles with it in their own life. I found this fascinating!!

Read this!

Enjoyed it! A must read for anyone who has a family member who is autistic.

must read

Where does Strange Son rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Great book regarding a parents perspective on autism and what a parent will go through to help their child.

Very Informative

If you enjoy books about how the mind works, you will enjoy this book. Imagine this: a mind that can both see and talk, but can't do both at the same time. That is what this author is battling with..the complications of the autistic mind that are beyond belief. This book gives true meaning to the expression: "There, but by the grace of God go I".