Growing Up Severely Autistic

There are so many prominent "miraculous" accounts of recovery from autism that it is easy to come to expect them. Growing Up Severely Autistic is a reminder of the other side of that story. Kate Rankin tells the story of her son Gabriel, who by 15 had yet to utter a word.

Much of the book is in diary form, detailing the day-to-day problems faced by the family. Gabriel is difficult in many ways. He cannot dress or toilet himself, he has no sense of danger, and good agility which can get him into frightening situations. Life is hard for the family. Kate Rankin explains how simple activities like shopping or getting a babysitter are fraught with obstacles.

For any family with an autistic child there may be a lot of familiar scenes in this book. The Rankins have had to virtually barricade their home and garden in order to protect Gabriel, who enjoys climbing on the roof and escaping. He can make a great deal of mess using only a small amount of material. Food cupboads have to be locked, as do windows, and nothing remotely dangerous (such as shampoo) left out.

In spite of being nonverbal, he has a cheeky sense of humour, which made him popular with care staff and teachers. Living with a severely autistic child is not all grim.

"His liveliness might have been wearing but that same vitality was also attractive. ... You just couldn't help responding with warm feelings for him."

Part of the appeal of this book lies in the way the author speaks frankly about subjects many parents would be embarrassed to mention. Toilet training is one such stigmatised topic. Kate Rankin devotes a whole chapter to this subject, which can be a big problem for many parents and carers. She also deals with discipline, controversial at the best of times. Her views on punishment are harsh, but it's so much easier to say you don't condone smacking if you have a child who understands why cars and tall buildings can lead to death and serious injury.

On reading this intimate portrait of a a family and Gabriel's painfully slow pace of learning, it is hard not to judge. His parents never subjected him to any of the many intensive therapies or unusual treatments, apart from attempting to teach him to sign. I kept asking myself, "What if they had tried...", and "Surely ___ would have helped". The fact though is that some autistics will not become verbal, no matter what is tried, and there is no point in comparing one autistic child with another. Gabriel also suffers from epilepsy, having fits more or less weekly, an added setback which can seriously interfere with any learning.

Digressing a little, the author talks about the stories of Victor of Aveyron and Peter the Wild Boy, historical figures whom many suspect were autistic. She mentions these because their conditions remind her so much of her son.

Gabriel's story is of neccessity told in a very one-sided way, so there's not much explanation of the causes of his actions. Anyone looking for practical solutions to the problems of bringing up an autistic child will not be greatly helped by this book. Yet it's a very moving biography of Gabriel, offering an insider's view of what it is really like for the family of someone on the autistic spectrum. For the parents of children on the spectrum it will be reassuring, helping to quell that feeling of isolation that many suffer. Planet autism is not so far away. If you are looking for insight into the reality of living with an autistic child, this is a book worth reading.