Discussing Autism

Gayle Nobel, author of "It's All About Attitude: Loving and Living Well With Autism", will be on the show today talking about what she has learned from her son and the revelations that went into her writing this very heartfelt and honest book. Here is an excerpt: What If? Gayle "I am truly relieved Kyle is nineteen and past his childhood. I had so much angst and worry about the future when he was a little boy. Life was colored by my desperation to do the right thing. I could never do enough. Sick days or rest days were not allowed for either of us. The window of opportunity often seemed on the verge of closing, so I had to cram it all in before it slammed shut. In reflection, what if my attitude was the only thing on this journey that mattered? What if I had known it was never too late? What if I had really believed that with all my heart? Would I have worried less? Felt less desperate to get the hours in, rushing from one thing to the next, cramming in as much stimulation as possible? What if I had realized early on that everything I did with Kyle was really therapy anyway? What if, in the end, many of the things I was frantic and anxious about didn’t really matter? What if I could have previewed some of the lessons still to come in a crash course called acceptance? If I had believed there was plenty of time, would I have slowed down and really seen the unique soul of my child? Could I have looked past the labels to discover his extraordinary spirit? Could I simply love my boy for a while, without needing him to perform? What if I had known he wasn’t going to talk, would he be okay anyway? Could I then have been satisfied, even happy? What if the number of hours, or even the type of therapy, didn’t matter in the long run? Would I have allowed him to rest when he was sick? Could he have ditched a session once in awhile? Could I have spent a day holding him and seen that as productive?"