A new book by Griffith University lecturer Mathew Karpin recounts how his family weathers a storm triggered by his son who has autism.
Eloquently written, The Crisis — How Autism nearly destroyed my family and what we did — is a salutary tale that describes the period leading up to and during the crisis.
“When a child with autism is driven to the edge, it is by the accumulation of explosive stimuli to which he cannot otherwise respond. You are being taken, in a crisis, to his world and it’s extremely troubling,’’ Matthew says.
He hopes the book will resonate with other families going through similar experiences.
“When you are the parent, and you think things might be different, better, for your child, but they go on a steady path towards disaster in spite of, because of, our efforts, the anguish is possibly incomparable.
“To learn what is needed to come through and to get your child back, for him to fully recover, in this circumstance, for him to fully recover, is also incomparable.”
Matthew Karpin teaches literature at Griffith University and is the author of numerous works of fiction, including The Right (2009) and The Thesis (2004).
The book will be launched at Avid Reader on June 29 at 6pm.