The Best Kind of Different: Our Familys Journey with Aspergers Syndrome

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Maybe start a blog? I'm trying to start a web site that "shreds" all of the preconceived notions about kids on the spectrum, and instead highlights the accomplishments of these kiddos, whether it be a successful trip to the dentist, or a kid on the spectrum competing in a snowboard half-pipe competition. These kids have way too much to offer to simply focus on their limitations, and our society needs to do way more to recognize what these kiddos can achieve instead of what they can't. One person found this helpful. This book is a quick read and is well worth reading if you are interested in Asperger's Syndrome.

We are looking for a diagnosis for our child and I saw a lot of things in common with ter Schilling's son and ours. However, it tries to be too many things to too many people -- if you're mostly interested in baseball, there's way too much Asperger's stuff and not enough about baseball, but if you're mostly interested in how to deal with a kid with Asperger's there's way too much about baseball and nowhere near enough about Aspergers.

I wanted to know how they managed to deal with their son and the info just wasn't there. Also, the book really downplays how rich the Schillings are or were. They live in a mansion and could have all kinds of paid help if they wanted it -- but you can't tell from this whether they have it or not.

She makes it sound as if she drives all the kids around i her mini van every day, and maybe she does. But they could have a specially trained nanny for him if they wanted to, and if it were me, I would! I have a 14 year old son that was misdiagnosed for 10 years.

We found out when he was in 5th grade. So many things that he did prior to the diagnoses made sense after we found out that he had Asperger's. The guilt and frustration at myself and at the doctors and educators for not knowing what was causing his actions sooner was huge.

He looks "normal" so many people do not realize that he has this medical condition. I have been thankful many times that he is small for his age so that hopefully people will think that he is younger than he is and attribute his actions to being young. This book does a good job of discribing Asperger's children.

As she states several times, all Asperger's children are different, but have several uniqueness things about them. One of the hardest things with dealing with a child with Asperger's is that you never know what to expect. If you are just starting out learning about Asperger's Syndrome, this book will be helpful in understanding what it is about. It is written as a novel and is easy to read. It does not have difficult to understand medical information. It is about a family mom in particular and what they have gone through before and after learning about Asperger's.

This book would also be good for family and friends of someone with Asperger's to understand a little more about what Asperger's is all about. One person found this helpful 2 people found this helpful. I am midway through this book - and am so thankful to be reading something about an ASD family that is real. Shonda shares the good, the bad and the ugly - and the funny. She shares the "ugly" emotions and feelings that we all experience. I like the fact that she also details her life and her husband's life as it isn't all about our kids - though it often seems it is!

I was also pleasantly surprised to learn a few more things about ASD. There were so many stories that were SO familiar - they made me cry since I knew exactly how she felt at that time. Thanks to Shonda for sharing her story - and that of her family. Well worth the purchase. See all 64 reviews. Most recent customer reviews.

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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. Jul 18, J L's Bibliomania rated it really liked it Shelves: 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 ach 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.

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. May 03, Megan rated it liked it. 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 th 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.

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 children under my charge at church including several with special needs. Because of this book I'm less judgemental. 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. May 28, Heather Price rated it liked it. 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! 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.

And for the REST of us, not living on easy street? 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 how If you happen to be a baseball fan with a slight interest in Asperger's, then this book is perfect for you.

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 The writing is not very focused, but it lends to more "mother credibility".

The Best Kind of Different Quotes

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. Jul 18, Rachel rated it liked it Shelves: 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: Dec 12, Holli Keel rated it it was ok.

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 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.

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.

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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. Jul 11, Jeff rated it really liked it. I really enjoyed this personal account of the Schilling family's experience with Asperger's Syndrome. 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 I really enjoyed this personal account of the Schilling family's experience with Asperger's Syndrome.

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. Oct 10, Susie rated it did not like it. 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 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.

I had hoped to glean a better understanding of the spectrum and learn some coping skills. 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. Jan 03, Marge Prohofsky rated it it was amazing Shelves: 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 inte I read this book because my 16 year old step-son was recently diagnosed with Asperger's. 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. Jul 19, Rebecca rated it really liked it Recommends it for: Recommended to Rebecca by: 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?

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As elated as I was to finish t Shonda shares what life is like with a son who's "different", which ultimately makes her and her family different in many ways. As elated as I was to finish the book I was actually finishing a book in a week! Forget elegant writing--I laughed, and I cried. Isn't that the sign of a great read? 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. May 21, Rachel rated it it was amazing. 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 writ A really down-to-earth and honest account of one mother's struggle with her son's diagnosis. 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. Feb 07, Kristen Golson rated it it was ok. 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 It was an interesting read. 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. Jun 12, Lzarrow rated it liked it. 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 I saw her speak in our town.

She doubts herself and blames herself for not helping her child sooner. Ultimately she shares that his diagnosis and differences have made her a better, happier person. Jul 23, Amy rated it really liked it. 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.

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