| Family & Relationships |
| Nervous System |
| Autism Spectrum Disorders |
| Health Care Issues |
| Urban & Community |
| Health & Fitness |
| Vaccinations |
| Children's Health |
Summary
Summary
Dr. Spock? Check. Penelope Ann Leach (Remember her?) Check. What to Expect When You're Expecting ? Check. I had a seven hundred dollar Bellini crib for God's sake!
Everything was perfect..."
...and so begins Kim Stagliano's electrifying and hilarious memoir of her family's journey raising three daughters with autism. Always outspoken, often touching, and sometimes heartbreaking, Kim Stagliano is a powerful new voice in comedic writing--her "Kimoir" (as she calls it) is the next must-read within the autism community and the literary world at large.
Author Notes
Kim Stagliano is a nationally recognized autism advocate and speaker. Although autism typically affects boys, Stagliano is in the unique position of having three daughters with full-blown autism, which has made her and her family the focus of national media attention. She is managing editor of ageofautism.com, the nation's first daily web newspaper about the autism epidemic. She writes for The Huffington Post, is on the editorial staff of The Autism File magazine, and is a feature writer for Spectrum Magazine. She speaks at national autism conferences and has appeared on Good Morning America, ABC News, Fox News, and blogs around the world, as well as in The Chicago Tribune and The National Catholic Register. A former sales and marketing executive, Stagliano lives in Connecticut with her family. Her website is kimstagliano.blogspot.com.Jenny McCarthy is a world-renowned autism activist, mother, and bestselling author. She splits her time between Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, and California. Her books include Belly Laughs, Baby Laughs, Life Laughs, Mother Warriors, Healing and Preventing Autism, and Louder Than Words.
Reviews (1)
Booklist Review
In this passionate, funny memoir, Stagliano reveals what it's like to be the mom of three daughters with autism. She jokes about the advantages of having teen girls with the disorder (they can't text naked photos of themselves to a boy), her daughters' initial diagnosis of global developmental delay (which sounded like a bad day on Continental Airlines), and crapisodes (autistic kids smearing feces everywhere). Many parents of kids diagnosed with the disorder will snap up this book, which is full of surprising, and controversial observations. Stagliano makes her husband out to be a good-looking saint (except for his golfing habit). Yet in 19 years, he goes through seven jobs. Also, despite the recent discreditation of Dr. Andrew Wakefield's 1998 paper in The Lancet that led many parents to believe vaccines caused autism, Stagliano stands by him, and against much of mainstream medicine. Still, if readers can navigate her vendettas (she hates vaccine-developing scientist Paul Offit and takes issue with the American Psychiatric Association), they will enjoy a far-from-boring book.--Springen, Karen Copyright 2010 Booklist
