Publisher's Synopsis
When Max was first suspected to have autism his parents were devastated and lost. Join Raquel Idolyantes, a mother of two boys, for a candid look back at her adventures as a mom, a mom with an autistic son. Her eldest son, Max, was diagnosed with autism and ADHD, and Raquel brings you along for her journey. She puts Max's challenges into perspective by weaving the threads of his disability into the tapestry of life. Her struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder, social anxiety disorder, and personal tragedies have challenged Raquel and her family to persevere and emerge stronger. This look at her family's struggles is not only informative, it is inspiring and hopeful. It is this sense of hope that helped to transform her imperfect family life dealing with the autism spectrum into the perfect life for her family.Raquel visits the challenges of accepting her son's disability, the process of getting a diagnosis, the difficulties of being her son's advocate in school, the confusion of finding her son the right therapies and activities, and the heartache of dealing with the rest of what life threw her way at the same time. All the challenges and difficulties may have been tiring, but she has been able to deal with everything while finding time to give back to her community. Her message is one of triumph over the initial disappointment of having a child with a disability. She shows how her son's disability has opened her world to compassion and understanding she would otherwise never have known. Max's life is proof positive that someone with autism can change the world for the better, and he's just getting started.
