Succeeding with Autism: Hear My Voice »

Cohen presents an account of a young man who has succeeded in managing his autism and is now experiencing success in his career as a math and computer science teacher. She begins by describing her first meeting with "Michael" when he entered the teacher education program she coordinated at Adelphi University. As she tells Michael's story, she reflects on the key issues of autism at each stage of development. The volume lacks bibliographical references. Annotation ©2005 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Library Journal

Personal narratives on Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are valuable to illustrate how we respond to autism. Cohen (education, Adelphi Univ.) draws on the oral history tradition to create a truly distinctive entry in the literature. Her subject is "Michael," a 24-year-old man for whom she served as college adviser. Despite graduating and securing math and computer-science teaching positions, Michael had difficulty interacting with others and adapting to adult life. Cohen uses lengthy quotes from his family, friends, teachers, and Michael himself to provide a vivid portrait not only of his actions but also of how others responded to them. This helps convey the challenges that Michael faced in various aspects and different stages of his life. Of particular note are his social interaction with teachers and the friends he met through college clubs and the trouble he had obtaining and keeping teaching positions as well as responding to the demands of employment. Strongly recommended for all public and academic libraries with ASD or education collections.-Corey Seeman, Univ. of Toledo Libs., OH Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.