Book Description

Candid, Vulnerable, Informative, Inspirational When Skyler was three years old, he was diagnosed with severe, non-verbal autism. When he was 17, his mom wrote a book about his amazing life. From page one, Welcome to My Life delivers on its promise to place you squarely in Skyler's life, surrounded by mom and dad, Laurie and Josh, and superstar sister, Kendall. Detailed sensory descriptions take you to doctors' appointments and trick-or-treating, to Qdoba and the kitchen table, to the bathroom for another "pull-ups" change, to family gatherings, to the Autism Center, and to conversations and internal dialogue so honest that you'll feel like you're part of the family too. Welcome to My Life shares the 14-year journey of a true warrior mom advocating for her non-verbal, severely autistic son from diagnosis through his teenage years. This brutally honest and heartwarming account details the daily struggles and often lack of social understanding that families face when raising a child who relies on parental assistance for every need. "A memoir like no other -- truthful and raw, hilarious and unexpected, heartbreaking and uplifting. Laurie L. Hellmann's Welcome to My Life is a love letter to her son Skyler and a welcome letter to the masses. It is dose of reassurance to us all, and a reminder that the world -- even when it's unpredictable and frightening -- is still shimmering with silver linings and powerful lessons." Because He Has No Words and Yet So Much to Say For mothers and fathers, sister and brothers, autism isn't a personal diagnosis ... it's a family diagnosis. Especially when your autistic loved one copes with significant development delays, suffers from serious chronic medical conditions, is an insomniac, and exhibits behaviors that disrupt the flow of day-to-day life. Autism turns households inside out, cracks hearts wide open and turns daily routines upside down. Take a journey with Laurie L. Hellmann and explore: -- How Skyler's autism diagnosis shook and then restored her faith -- The realities of navigating divorce, co-parenting and new love when your child has special needs -- The emotional and physical toll (on Skyler and his family) of countless medical and behavioral treatments -- The difference between hope, false hope, acceptance and gratitude in the face of disappointment, uncertainty and fear -- The effects of autism on sibling relationships -- How autism can challenge and strengthen a marriage -- Why laughter is good medicine for us all Experience the laughter and love, unspoken bonds and unflagging devotion of one very special family. And be changed forever by the knowledge that a mother's love knows no bounds, and that autism -- though it presents various challenges -- does not define who a person is nor does it devalue or diminish their contributions to this world.