Not My Boy!: A Father, a Son, and One Family's Journey with Autism » (Unabridged, 6 CDs, 6 hrs 30 min)

Rodney lives in Los Angeles with Holly and their four children.

Like most fathers, I'd dreamt of doing all sorts of things with my son. I had so many plans, but when I was told my son was autistic, those plans seemed more like a fantasy. Well, eight years after that dreadful diagnosis, I am writing this book to let every father know that your plans for you and your son can still be a reality. It's just the path that takes you there that has to be altered.

Autism affects four times as many boys as it does girls. For their fathers, expectations and hopes are drastically changed—NFL star Rodney Peete's were when his son R.J. was diagnosed at the age of three. After a period of anger and denial, an all-too-common reaction among fathers, Rodney joined his wife, Holly, in her efforts to help their son. With determination, love, and understanding, the family worked with R.J. to help him once again engage with the world. Eight challenging years later, R.J. has gone from the son one doctor warned would never say, "I love you," to a...

Publishers Weekly

Former NFL star quarterback Peete sheds his macho gridiron side and pours his heart out in his no-holds-barred family memoir, recounting the stresses of having a child with severe autism and the daunting challenge of realigning parental expectations. Recollecting golden memories of a supportive father's role in his successful life, he imagines a similar time with his son, R.J., but everything changes for the worse when R.J. is diagnosed with autism at age three. His marriage almost collapses under the weight of the diagnosis while his valiant wife, Holly Robinson Peete, emerges as the child's advocate amid Rodney's overwhelming anger and denial, ultimately triumphant in getting R.J. the proper attention. This invaluable parental primer on guiding an autistic child through the medical and therapeutic maze along with strengthening a besieged marriage will give renewed hope to all those in the same situation. A portion of this book's proceeds will go to autism charities. (Apr.)

Contents

Acknowledgments....................ix
Prologue....................1
1. Dreams of Every Dad....................7
2. The Wake-up Call: The Diagnosis....................18
3. Denial, Anger, and Everything In Between....................34
4. Team R.J....................50
5. In the Mainstream....................74
6. You Do the Math....................97
7. Epilogue: Singing His Song....................112
8. Marriage: You've Got to Get the Man Right....................121
9. Siblings: Little Brothers and Big Sisters....................137
10. Tough Love: Discipline and a Special Needs Child....................155
11. From Butterflies to Beckham: Part of the Team....................174
12. Making Friends....................193
13. The Other Spectrum....................211
14. You're Not Alone....................224
Afterword....................233
Appendix: The Welcome to Autism Handbook....................237