Running with Walker: A Memoir

'Running With Walker is the witty and insightful story of another, the first-born son of author Robert Hughes, a Chicago college professor. Hughes describes the mounting terror he and his wife Ellen begin to feel when they realize their beautiful little boy is not "normal" and chronicles their journey into the mysteries of autism. With humor and honesty, Hughes describes the steps and missteps they take in their search for answers, in spite of grim prognosis. "I hold out no hope for this child," one physician tells them This is not a magic-cure book about autism, nor is it a tale of woe. Running with Walker tells what could be a very grim tale with warmth and grace... This book is a rebuttal to anyone who has ever thought "I could never go through that." In the end, this family goes on, always striving and hoping for the best - because that's what families do. - Chicago Parent 'I loved this book. Painful, funny and moving, it highlights the dilemma faced by parents of children with disabilities - the need to keep hope alive, and the fears and concerns of health professional. Good parents avoid labeling and focus on what is positive about their child. Health professionals deal in labels and focus on what is wrong with children. The clash seems inevitable. Robert Hughes writes with disarming honesty about the reality and complexity of parenting an autistic child and of the need to see Walker not as hopeless, but as a unique child with possibilities. Inspirational reading! - Five to Eleven 'The story Hughes tells is tragic and beautiful and full of hope...His memoir is a testimonial to parental love that is endless, selfless, unconditional and all enduring. It is also great reading for anyone.' -Family Time 'Such an affecting and instructive story, and one told so very well: a father's relentless love for his son, offered time and again, no matter the boy's troubles. Here is human connection at its stirring, challenging best - and here is a lesson of family love for all of us to consider.' - Robert Coles, James Agee Professor of Social Ethics, Harvard University