Abstract

For any parent of a child on the autism spectrum, obtaining educational and other services for their child is an ongoing and often intractable problem. This book tells the story of two parents of a child first diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), whose initial experiences with the education system were not unlike those of most parents of a child with a disability. Their role soon changed from parents to parent/professionals when they realized that the professionals were not sure how to respond to their son's special needs. This book describes their experiences in obtaining educational services and information about the disability community, what they learned from those experiences and what other parents can do to help their own child. The book provides honest, open, and practical advice, which will be invaluable to anyone whose child is diagnosed with an autism spectrum condition, and to all those professionals who work with them.

Matthew Foley has a Master of Education Degree and is a licensed professional counsellor in private practice who works with families of children diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome, Attention Deficit Disorder and learning disabilities. DeAnn Hyatt-Foley has a Master of Education Degree in Special Education. She

worked for a Texas parent training and information centre for eight years,

and currently works as an educational consultant/presenter specialising in

Asperger Syndrome. DeAnn is the co-founder and president of Reaching

Aspergers/Autism through Information and Networking (raain).

Matthew and DeAnn have co-authored several articles and have presented lectures on how to advocate for children's services. They currently live in Texas with their adolescent son, Ryan.