The Best Kind of Different: Our Family's Journey with Asperger's Syndrome

by Shonda Schilling, Curt Schilling

In The Best Kind of Different, Shonda Schilling, the wife of Major League Baseball All Star, former Boston Red Sox, and World Series championship pitcher Curt Schilling, shares the story of their son’s Asperger’s Syndrome, how it changed their lives, and what other parents can learn about this increasingly common diagnosis. Candid and compelling, The Best Kind of Different traces their family’s struggle with Asperger’s, following Curt and Shonda as they come to understand their son’s differences and in the process relearn everything they thought they knew about parenting.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Parenting, Biography

240 pages, Hardcover

First published March 23, 2010

Reviews

[Christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story of the Shilling family and how their lives changed when their 7-year-old son was diagnosed with Asperger's. I was hoping for more insight and understanding, but I found myself constantly annoyed by the way the story was told. Too many details about baseball (Curt Shilling was a very successful pitcher) and way too much "I'm a martyr" stuff from Mrs. Shillings -- things like how she didn't even hire a nanny until she had four kids and how hard being a single mom was while her husband was on the road. The clincher for me was when she was talking about organizing a fundraising party for one of her causes and she tries to casually mention how hard she worked, "even though it was my birthday." Another cringe-worthy part was about negotiating contracts with the Red Sox, where she and her husband held firm for $14 million a year instead of the $10 million they were offered because if they hadn't held out, it would be unfair to all the other players. Cue the violins.

I also felt the mother was an extreme helicopter parent as well as enabling her son's worst behavior by giving in all the time. She gets up in arms once when her child is put in a time-out by a lifeguard at a pool after he constantly cuts in line and disrupts other children. She was so angry at someone else parenting her kid that she goes straight to the supervisor, outraged, rather than apologizing for her son's behavior. She writes about all these things she "has to do" to accommodate Asperger's, such as letting her kids eat whatever they want and giving into whatever rigidity he is experiencing now, and while I'm sure some "picking of battles" is necessary, I think it's partly an excuse on her part.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't realize the Schillings have a child with Asperger's until I saw them being interviewed several months ago. Their candor during the interview piqued my interest, and it was clear this book was going to reveal all their parenting and spousal warts. While Curt was endearing himself to Red Sox Nation as #38, starting pitcher, and integral member of two World Series Championship teams, Shonda was at home coping with their brood, whose issues include ADHD, an eating disorder, and Asperger's. Dealing with myriad issues, that are often demonstrated in very public ways, has been a journey for the Schillings, who make their home in MA, where Curt is revered.

[Megan Blosser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Change a few names and circumstances, maybe drop the household income just a bit ( ;-) ), move the family to the midwest instead of the northeast, and this is my story. It meant a lot to me to read a book about Asperger's (or HFA or ASD or whatever you prefer to call it) written from a mother's point of view. I've read clinical text after text, and first person memoir after memoir, but this book was the first time I saw MY feelings on the pages.

Shonda Schilling isn't the greatest writer ever; that's why I knocked off a star on my review. And I concede that she makes it seem oh so easy to just get testing done and diagnosis made. I realize this isn't the case for most families, as testing is a long, and often very expensive process. But I won't fault the Schillings for their wealth or access to medical care. At the end of the day, they are still parenting a child with an autism spectrum disorder, and no matter what resources they have at their disposal, it is damn hard to do.

Schilling writes with guarded honesty and gives a decent account of what it's like to be the primary caregiver to a kid on the spectrum. This book is a great read for any parent just starting to dip their toes into the spectrum pool. If nothing else, it's a comfort and a validation to read even on either anecdote that proves other parents have said/thought/felt *exactly* the same as you.

[Meredith C · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you happen to be a baseball fan with a slight interest in Asperger's, then this book is perfect for you. The parts about baseball made my mind wander and the insight into Asperger's was not deep enough to enlighten me beyond what I already knew. I wasn't looking for an informative book on the syndrome since I've worked with children like Grant for a dozen years. I was looking for a parent's point of view, and I appreciated the truth Mrs. Schilling conveys in her own struggles. Her journey however, isn't one that most of my students' parents will mirror, with her financial resources of a professional ball player, struggles with cancer, anorexia, depression, unrealistic expectations as a mother... there was a LOT going on. The writing is not very focused, but it lends to more "mother credibility".

I'd recommend this for a very quick read for parents who want to hear it's ok to struggle, common to not immediately know what is going on, and to let EVERYONE know it's never ok to judge when you see a "difficult child" out in public. There's always more to the story.

[Susie · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book reads as a memoir and while the title suggests that it will address an entire family's reaction to an Asperger's diagnosis that isn't the case. The primary focus is the author's reactions to the diagnosis and subsequent situations. She proceeds to document her struggle from the beginning of the diagnosis to the date of publication. The experiences of the siblings are minimized in supposed favor of the Asperger child. I had hoped to glean a better understanding of the spectrum and learn some coping skills. Neither occurred. As someone who is a "different", although not someone with Asperger's, I found the intentions of the book admirable, however the execution an epic failure.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was not quite what I expected. All of the background information about life prior to Grant's diagnosis was nice, I suppose, but I was starting to feel like this was Shonda's memoirs rather than the story of their family's journey with their son's AS. That said, it was well-written, brutally honest (especially the parts about Shonda's struggle with depression and anxiety), and informative. Having a brother with AS myself, I would definitely recommend this book to someone who has or knows a child with it.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well as a mother of an asperger's child- this book really hit home. My son has been diagnosed for awhile now but I still didn't realy get why he acts the way he does. Reading another mother describe her child and it be so similar to mine really woke me up. I didn't understand that a lot of the things he does are because of the asperger's. I'm glad I read it and will be reading more on the subject. oh and I will stop yelling now!

[Melissa]

For Philadelphians, the image of former Phillies pitcher Curt Schilling covering his head with a towel whenever Mitch "Wild Thing" Williams took the mound is embedded in our 1993 post-season minds.

In this new book, Curt and his wife Shonda don't hide from their experiences with Asperger's Syndrome as viewed through their eyes as parents to their son Grant, who was diagnosed at age seven.

I usually look at "autism memoirs" somewhat skeptically, especially when they are written by celebrities (who have very different lives - translation: more money and more help - than the people I know). I also eschew flowery sentiments like The Best Kind of Different. There are many, many words and phrases that come to mind when I think of Boo having Asperger's and our family's experiences, and quite honestly, "the best kind of different" is usually not among them. (Surely not after this morning's meltdown of epic proportions.)

But I must say that I found this to be a very honest and down-to-earth book. It would have been much easier for the Schillings to remain silent, to not be as forthcoming with their struggles with Grant or about their oldest son Gehrig's eating disorders or with their other children (and Curt) having ADHD.

"Though it's one thing to make peace with your kids not being academically or athletically exceptional and realize how they are each special in their own ways, it's another thing entirely to come to terms with one of your children being significantly different. This is every parent's worst nightmare, that their child will be labeled different in some way, whether it's a physical disability, social awkwardness, or coming from the wrong side of the tracks. The child who is different stands out and faces huge social and emotional consequences. The other kids notice who is different. Just the word different seems to be a bad thing, carrying all sorts of assumptions and stigmas. Different means hardship, different means struggle. It may seem like a reductive way of looking at the world, but as pretty much any parent will tell you, children can be incredibly cruel, and nothing attracts that cruelty like a kid who is labeled different." (pg. 87-88)

In her book, Shonda Schilling gives example after example of Grant's behavior and issues that confused and frustrated her - as well as her other children. (The Schillings have four kids.) She writes how his tendency to run off in parking lots and crowded spaces, as well as his unpredictable meltdowns, made it difficult to take him anywhere, especially baseball games. How he had difficulty with simple transitions from one activity to another. How he didn't seem to listen or make eye contact and did socially inappropriate (but logical to him) things like walking into a neighbor's house and helping himself to a Pop-Tart because "they have better Pop-Tarts." And yet at the same time, Grant was very intelligent, compassionate towards others (especially those with physical disabilities) and affectionate.

All this making Shonda, who at the time knew only the sterotypes of autism and nothing about Asperger's, utterly perplexed.

"Before I knew about Asperger's, before I knew exactly what it was that made Grant different, the thing I kept coming back to was that he seemed like one big youthful, energetic contradiction. He would do something that would make you angry, and in the same breath he would tell you he loved you. This tendency made me refer to Grant as a child who would pinch you while he was hugging you. .... For years before Grant was diagnosed, this never-ending sea of contradictions was a constant source of confusion. The contradictions are what make you think this is a just a phase, that somehow the "bad" part or the "odd" part of the contradiction will one day just stop, leaving only the "good" part behind. Isn't it funny how willing we are to assume that bad behavior is somehow different, but good behavior is normal?" (pg. 59)

And as many of mothers with kids of special needs can relate to, Grant's behavior and her inability to "fix" it also made Shonda feel as if she wasn't a good mother and that many people saw her as the culprit. Being in the public eye and living such a high-profile life as the wife of a major league baseball player only compounded matters.

"Part of the problem was that despite my instincts that something was wrong, I felt as if people second-guessed me whenever I brought up Grant's behavior. When I would talk to friends and family about how Grant acted, there was always an excuse, something that they felt made the behavior somehow my fault. They weren't necessary trying to point the finger at me, and everyone was well-intentioned about giving advice, but all their ideas seemed to place the blame squarely at me, especially because Curt was on the road so often.

Grant didn't respect me.
I spoiled him.
I wasn't firm enough.

No matter whom I spoke to about the trends I saw in Grant, everyone seemed to dismiss it with a wave of the hand and an overly simplified generalization. None of it felt right." (pg. 73)

It feels kind of odd to say that I enjoyed this book, but I did - in the sense that it reads so conversationally (making it somewhat of a fast read for me) that it was like sitting down and having lunch with a friend, another mom who knows what it is like to walk this road. (I think that The Best Kind of Different would be helpful reading for others who might feel alone with this, or for relatives of those with Asperger's.)

Even though children with Asperger's have some commonalities, Asperger's can be very different from one child to the next. Still, there is much about Grant's personality that is very similar to my Boo's - and many of the Schilling family's experiences are similar to our own.

In telling her family's story, Shonda Schilling doesn't go where some other celebrities have gone - she doesn't give advice on therapies, she doesn't get on a soapbox spouting theories about autism's causes, she doesn't preach or tell others what to do. While she gives strategies on what has worked for Grant and their family coupled with what they haven't done, it's presented in a very matter-of-fact, "here's-what-works-for-us," parent-to-parent style.

Shonda is also very honest on the impact that being Grant's parents has had on her relationship with Curt. For many years, she was pretty much parenting solo while Curt was on the road most of the year. She describes their tense conversations over the phone, giving him the news of Grant's diagnosis while they were on the road in a hotel room, and the decision for them to go into couple's therapy together (along with her seeking out help for herself in the form of medication for depression).

Those of us who live this life know the statistics on the increased rate of divorce among married couples who have a child with special needs and the toll that parenting them takes. "Our job as parents is to prepare our kids for what is ahead of them, to teach them the difference between right and wrong and how to choose wisely. Sometimes, especially in the case of a child with Asperger's, that's easier said than done. It takes parenting up to a whole other level." (pg. 133)

Parents who are also parenting on this level often feel alone and misunderstood by others. (This was especially true in the book when Shonda writes about Grant's participation in sports and the nasty remarks hurled at her when Grant had difficulty playing and being part of the team.)

We all want our kids to be part of the team, and as parents, we want to be part of a winning team that has us on top of this game of life. It's a struggle for most of us, especially those who are parenting children with special needs. The Best Kind of Different doesn't present a perfect game by saying everything is wonderful in the world of autism, but instead scores a home run by simply showing that more of us are in this game than we might think.

[Trish Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this “diagnosis memoir,” as I tend to think of them, on a whim from the library and am glad I did. The writer is refreshingly open about her experiences becoming a wife and mom while her husband is involved in a demanding baseball career and shares candidly about the ups and downs of parenting a child with Asperger’s Syndrome both before and after the diagnosis.

We hear a lot about the grieving process that parents can go through upon receiving the news that their child has a disability. Some parents feel intensely sad that their dreams for their child may not be realized and some may also feel guilty for things they think may have done to cause the problem. While Shonda does not mention these, she does touch on something that I had felt but not verbalized as being a part of grief. Here’s what she says:

"It was both comforting and upsetting to read these Web sites. On the one hand they offered a clear explanation of why my son acted the way he did. On the other hand it hurt to realize how clueless I’d been about my own child and how I hadn’t been doing right by him. I could only read so much, a little at a time."

I think this is as good a representation of the combination of relief and sorrow that came upon me once we had a diagnosis of autism for our son as I have read. I was so glad to have some direction, but so sad that no one had been able to tell me how to communicate with him and help him earlier. And I think the sadness and anger, and sometimes fear, that sometimes hit me even now are directly related to my desire for everyone in his world to treat him with the understanding and respect that he deserves while teaching him in a way he can understand how to be a good friend and student and, later, employee and citizen.

I would recommend this to book to anyone who wants to understand more about Asperger’s Syndrome. You do not have to be at all familiar with disability to connect with the story or the family in the book. There is also quite a bit of discussion about the dad’s role in the family and the struggles and growth they have experienced both in their marriage and their parenting over the years. Many books about family stories are focused on mom’s experience much more than dad’s, but this book has a lot that dads in this situation can likely relate to, even if they aren’t baseball stars!

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an eye-opening read seven years after publication. The stuff about ASD and Aspberger's didn't really phase me because I worked in special education for five years with similar profile kids, but the stuff about Curt Schilling written by his wife was probably the most honest and telling. Her grandfather was a recovering alcoholic that committed suicide when she was sixteen. Their family went through a lot of therapy, especially after Curt's retirement. I'm sure the lifestyle of having a major league baseball player as a father takes its toll on the cognitive and social development of all children.

Here are some good snipits about Curt:

* "He kept talking me into playing hooky- taking days off, or just missing a class here and there." (15)

* "But childbirth rattled him something fierce. He had to have my dad drive us to the hospital." (22)

* "Of course, because of baseball Curt wasn't there with me, and I had to shoulder this all by myself." (99)

* "On days when he pitched a night game, that meant he slept till noon, got up and ate his same meal of Ellio's pizza, and then took a nap." (102)

* "My kids have very limited palates, which, I'm sorry to say, they get from their father." (115)

* "Once again Curt was doubting my instincts, and it made me so mad I wanted to scream." (119)

* "I realized I'd raised my kids the only way I knew- the way I had been raised." (153)

The most powerful line by Shonda was, "It felt so good to write." (165)

[J L's Bibliomania · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the mom of 2 young men with (admittedly mild) Aspergers, I've been running through the genre of memoirs of Aspergers and Autism families. I'm not much of a baseball fan, so I started reading before I realized who it was about.

Much of this book parallells our experience. Like the Shillings, we also went through the experience of having a really bright kid that we suspected "something" wasn't quite right, but it took until he hit the wall academically in 2nd grade before we went through the achingly long waiting list to get in to see the Developmental Pediatrician and found out that Aspergers would explain what we saw. It's very common, especially with kids who only have a toe or an foot onto the Autism spectrum to go through an extended time of mystery before you find the right doctor to help you put the pieces together.

I was refreshed by Shonda's view into her world, and amused by the stories of Aspie moments. She seems to be very lucky in her school district as well, and wonder how well they are faring with the strains on school district budgets. It's been a few years since this book came out and I would have liked an update on the books website to let us know how Grant and they are doing.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

My friend, Lew Frost heard an interview on the radio with Shonda Shilling, the author of this book and thought of me, so I got the wonderful surprise of receiving an unanticipated book from Amazon.
Shonda is not much of a writer (she admits that she's hardly read any books herself), but her gift of sharing the most personal and honest parts of her life requires a withholding of judgement.
Although I don't have any children with Autism spectrum disorders, I've found the skills they used to help their son have been very helpful with me, both with my own children, for my volunteer capacities in the schools, as well as with the nearly 100 children under my charge at church including several with special needs.
Because of this book I'm less judgemental. I'm more understanding. And now I have a nice arsenal of strategies for everything from helping children to make transitions more easily, to creating a structured environment, to helping a child learn to react appropriately (not always at a level 5, housefire reaction level).
I recommend this book for any parent with a special needs child. It may feel like just the support group you need.

[Heather Price · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a rich family with access to plenty of resources for their child with extremely high functioning autism. I thought I'd find more similarities between their experiences and mine but what I found was that mom was really a single mom during Dad's baseball seasons, Grant's autism went undetected and undiagnosed for years (I don't even know how that's possible!) and that they're coming at their special needs situation from a vantage point of "we're rich and we don't want to be seen as different" rather than from a vantage point of "from the beginning, the special needs of my child(ren) have turned my life upside down-- let me paint my life around it". Though I didn't see a lot of myself or my family in this book (I couldn't give three hoots about all the baseball experiences--- my children with autism have never been to a baseball game and if we ever do bring them, I'll be prepared for a massive double meltdown)--- I did enjoy her story and getting to know her sweet family. I understand the camp Grant went to is $5000 and that they hired one of the counselors outside of camp. Great. And for the REST of us, not living on easy street? No suggestions there.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this personal account of the Schilling family's experience with Asperger's Syndrome. Grant Schilling, son of famous Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling, was diagnosed at the age of seven. This book chronicles the years up to that diagnosis, and about two years after it. It's very honest, and I feel like Shonda Schilling gave us a very intimate account of their lives and emotions as they dealt with Grant's issues, which, for seven terribly difficult years, they had no understanding of at all.

Having a child with high-functioning Autism, as I read this book, I found myself in tears many times, because I saw my own daughter many times in Grant's experiences.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who is dealing with either Autism or Asperger's in their family or a close friend. It always helps to know that you're not alone in your struggles.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting memoir of MLB legend Curt Schilling's family journey with Asperger's. His son was diagnosed in early elementary school, and this is the account (written primarily by his wife) of their struggle to learn what was causing his social issues, and how to provide him with the best environment they could.

Since Asperger's (or borderline Aspergers) touches my life in a very personal way, it was interesting to read about what another family has gone through. I found their account to be realistic and neither Curt nor Shonda held anything back when talking about both their failures and their victories as parents.

The moral of the story is that at the end of the day we need to help set our children up for success and to find ways to instill confidence in them, no matter what form of action that may take. That's definitely something I can get behind :)

[Holli Keel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found it incredible that someone with a son who has autism wouldn't realize this fact for the first seven years of his life. To me it would be obvious. So I read this book with interest - it's really a look into a life completely different from mine. Their family moved and traveled a lot, and their lives revolved around professional baseball. Their wealth granted them access to all kinds of treatments and help, but the spotlight also caused Shonda to be obsessed with being the perfect wife and mother, which is probably partly why she didn't recognize anything going on with her son for years.

It's not that I didn't like the book, it's just that it was a scattered account that was written in such a bland manner. I do appreciate her honesty about how difficult things have been for the family, and I'm glad she's helping others learn about Asperger's Syndrome.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shonda shares what life is like with a son who's "different", which ultimately makes her and her family different in many ways. As a whole, though, it really is more the story of her life, starting when she meets her husband. I loved how genuine she is, how honestly she tells her story. I think this is a great book for anyone to read, whether or not you are struggling to better understand a child, or yourself. (Aren't all we parents trying to answer that question?) As elated as I was to finish the book (I was actually finishing a book in a week!), I was left feeling like a close friend had just moved far away.

Forget elegant writing--I laughed, and I cried. Isn't that the sign of a great read?

[Marge Prohofsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book because my 16 year old step-son was recently diagnosed with Asperger's. I wanted to understand and relate to a family similar to my own. I can relate to the struggles of parenting a child that is "different". I could also relate to her problem in explaining to other parents about her son's differences. I'm glad that Shondra was able to have her son diagnosed accurately as a young child. I liked the honest look that she gave her family as they struggled with the confusion of interacting with a family member that can be unpredictable and confusing. I admire her courage in acknowledging her own depression. I was also impressed with the love of baseball described throughout the book in connection with Shondra's husband's career.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd give this book 3 1/2 stars, so we'll round up to 4. This is a good book for any parent to read who struggles with a child being different. It is a good reminder that we don't need to worry about what the rest of the world thinks about our child or our parenting, and how we just need to do our best to help our children learn and grow and become the best that they can be. I do not have a child with Asperger's Syndrome, but I still found a couple ideas helpful and the main theme was good for any parent or anyone else who works with children. It addresses a lot of the emotional struggles that come with this type of diagnosis as well.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really down-to-earth and honest account of one mother's struggle with her son's diagnosis. This book is incredibly honest and Shonda Schilling does not shy away from talking about the times when she was at her breaking point and the moments that brought her to tears. There is a lot of important parenting information that can be taken away from this book as well as good, understandable information about autism spectrum disorder and Aspergers. The introduction by Curt Schilling is also well written and sets up the reader to begin a book about a truly remarkable woman and family. It leaves you understanding that everyone has their problems and that's what makes them great.

[Lzarrow · Rating 3 out of 5]

I saw her speak in our town. She was wonderfully funny and honest and came across the same way in this book. Although the main topic of the book is uncovering and helping her son after his Asbergers' diagnosis, it also tells the story of ALL the challenges she (and many women) face. She deals with her own illnesses, questions her parenting skills, addresses being a single parent much of the time due to her husband's baseball career. She doubts herself and blames herself for not helping her child sooner. Don't we all?! Ultimately she shares that his diagnosis and differences have made her a better, happier person.

[Kristen Golson · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was an interesting read. She was very candid about her home life and the stress it put on her. I find it amazing that not one other person saw the signs her son exhibited and recognized. She is also very negative about her husband always being gone. I'm sure it put a lot of stress on her but it's also what she signed up for when she married him! I was glad she saw the positives in her life towards the end of the book and glad she was humble enough to recognize that her marriage needed help.

I did empathize with her regret over how she had handled her son before his diagnosis and then realizing afterwards why he had acted certain ways. A quick and interesting read.

[Derralyn Monahan · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're a sports fan and know who the Boston Red Sox are than you'll know who Curt Schilling is especially but this book puts several things that I've got interest in. It puts my favorite professional baseball team the Boston Red Sox, autism, and a very special professional baseball pitcher's live all in 1 book! As someone who has autism myself this is an amazing book, especially with knowing that a professional baseball player most like does have autism but never knew that he did!! I would highly recommend this book to every sports fan, autistic parent, autistic kid, every teacher, every doctor, etc!!!

[Christina · Rating 1 out of 5]

This isn't really a book about asperger's but really Shonda Schilling's autobiography. If you are interested in her and Curt's life you would enjoy it. If you're looking for insights, advice and understanding of Aspergers this is not it. For 1 it's written only 2 years after his diagnosis so their journey and story are just beginning. Also this would have been better served having a professional writer cowrite this. The flow and style hurt and are weak. I could never write a book myself so don't want to criticize but have read others by "nonwriters" who get help and it makes a huge difference.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shonda is very brave for sharing her family story of imperfection with the public where so many times they expect perfection. No kid is perfect and it's the parents who acknowledge this that make the best parents. You can only help a child when you understand where they are coming from wheter or not you can labe the behavior. Many traits of Asparger's (and lots of other conditions) take so much extra energy and patience from parents it just can't be explained. This book would be good for any parent to read.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was insightful, supportive, and helpful, and it was funny too--she has a good sense of humor. Since I'm from the Boston area and am a long-time Red Sox fan, I liked when she wrote about Curt's baseball career, especially when the Red Sox won the World Series, and how it connected with what their life was like at home with their son and his difficult behaviors. Baseball was secondary however to the main point of the book. A must-read for parents who have a child or loved one with Asperger's.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The two most important things that I think I learned from this book were: 1) Mikey didn't choose to have autism and he doesn't drive me crazy sometimes on purpose, and 2) he is always going to have autism; it is not something that will ever go away. But the title of Schilling's book and her story really reaffirmed for me that even though he may be different (and aren't we all in our own unique ways?), he's still so very special... the best kind of different!

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book of one more visible family's experience with Aspergers. There is a lot of info pertaining to what is available for families, tactics for maintaining some family equilibrium, retraining behaviour or dealing with symptoms. Also there is much support for trading guilt for constructive analysis, moving forward and not looking for blame. It seems to me that all people have a bit of Aspergers in them, just some are not equipped to deal with it in socially acceptable ways.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fast read, I consider it more a memoir. I could definitely appreciate how real the story was, and how they were all doing their best to cope. I am struck by their chaos in the midst of the Red Sox season, and how difficult that must have been. I like that Shonda really told it how it was without sugar-coating it. The only thing that was a bit difficult was the jumping around with the timeline, I felt like it was a little confusing when she would jump back in time.

[Spider the Doof Warrior · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grant seems like a great kid.
I liked this book. Me and the Schillings probably different politically, but this is OK. They learned to adapt to their Apergian son. They agonized a bit, as many folks who have a child who is SO DIFFERENT would, but seemed to slowly learn and that different isn' tbad. That there is hope. That Asperger's isn't a dark, dank dreary tunnel. It's not easy, but it can be worked with and understood and your family can come out of that tunnel a lot stronger and wiser.