Don't Look Now, But Your Kid Is Showing

Book excerpt: Even today, when information is literally at our fingertips, many people would have to admit they don't know much about Asperger's Syndrome. Now imagine a mother in the 1970s raising four children on her own, one of whom she now knows suffered from this form of autism. As difficult as raising a child with autism can be, the task was even more challenging several decades ago, when the doctor's solution to this syndrome was to prescribe Ritalin and suggest counseling. But raise an autistic child in the 1970s is just what Pat Gramig did. Her third child, James Patrick, affectionately nicknamed Jim Pat, was a mischievous typical boy whose shenanigans often left his mother worried, laughing, and at a loss for words, sometimes all at once. From locking her out of the house to taking the scissors to her hair, Jim Pat kept his mother on her toes. Pat knew her son was special, despite his differences. Anyone who has dealt with Asperger's on a personal level will find hope and comfort, as well as valuable information, in the pages of Don't Look Now, but Your Kid Is Showing.