People Magazine's review of Dan E. Burns' Saving Ben: A Father's Story of Autism (University of North Texas Press, 2009), praises the book as "a wonderful read that will make parents look at their own children, disabled or not-and find so much to cherish.""Take him home, love him, and save your money for his institutionalization when he turns twenty-one." That was the best advice Ben Burns' doctor could offer in 1990 when the three year old was diagnosed with autism.
In Saving Ben, Burns tells the story of Ben's journey toward recovery and his family's story of loss, grief, and healing.
We've posted the magazine's four-star review below:
At 18 months, Ben Burns babbled, played ball and could climb just about anything. By 5, he had lost all language and spent his days screeching; one psychologist declared him the most profoundly autistic child she had ever seen.
Burns, an English professor, refused to give up his dream of normalcy for his boy, trying every therapy imaginable. He also struggled with his own sexuality and his wife's erratic behavior.
Saving Ben is not a book filled with false hope or bromides.
It is, however, a wonderful read that will make parents look at their own children, disabled or not-and find so much to cherish.
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