Susan Senator

“This honest account of family life will give great insight into coping successfully with the challenges of raising an autistic child.”

—Temple Grandin, author of the NY Times Bestseller, Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior

“There are so many elements of the book that I found compelling—Senator’s capacity to mix eminently practical ideas like Nat books, with profound internal experiences like desperation and frustration; the capacity to chart a path between challenging society to do better and recognizing the special difficulties of Nat’s condition; the capacity to make autism come alive but retain the book as a story about Nat and her family, not about a disease; the capacity to share the joy of being Nat’s mother while never glossing over the stress. Senator has a huge amount to offer folks who live in the autism world, but also so much more. Somehow, I hope the book succeeds in finding its way onto the bedside tables of many mothers and fathers, teachers and administrators, politicians and doctors. Regardless of whether they have anything to do with autism, they’ll learn a lot about life from Senator and Nat and her family. And what they would learn about acceptance and love would make the world a far better place. I’m hoping…”

—Timothy Shriver, CEO, Special Olympics

“Sue Senator’s book reaches out to other families in a voice that inspires hope, but without losing realism. Her positive spirit illuminates a path that will make the journey easier for other families, and will help them feel they are not alone.”

—Dr. Simon Baron-Cohen, psychologist, author of Teaching Children With Autism to Mind-Read; director, Autism Research Centre, Cambridge University.

“Senator does not claim to have found a cure for autism, instead she shows parents that it is possible to manage their lives while having a child with this complex disorder and to keep the family unit intact.”

—Doug and Laurie Flutie, co-founders of The Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism, Inc.

“This book eloquently summarizes the intense, never-ending work families invest to help their loved ones—and each other—live with this devastating disorder. Susan’s story reminds us that while there are currently no medical treatments or cures for autism, we must maintain hope.”

—Karen London, co-founder, the National Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR)

“I LOVE THIS BOOK!! This is a book that every parent and professional working with autistic children should own, read and reread, keep in the bedside night-stand. These children have such enormous potential in their own way. It is so refreshing to know that someone else sees it too.”

—Margaret L. Bauman, Pediatric Neurologist, MassGeneral Hospital; Director, The Autism Research Foundation and LADDERS Clinic; Associate Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School.