Michael Braccia

Could It Be That Way: Living with Autism Michael Braccia

Publisher Marketing: After sporting and academic success in junior school, David White is plagued by bullying when moving up to the local grammar school. He finally breaks through in both sport and academic studies, developing in character and confidence. Supported by his loving family, and in particular his father, his character is shaped to prepare him for both his career and his life in the future that are both influenced and consumed by autism. David's major influences are his father (Norman), his father-in-law (Nigel) and his wife (Anita). The problems that his son, John, endures shape David's later life. John has severe autism, learning disabilities and epilepsy. After years working in I. T., he realises his destiny is to spend the rest of his working life dedicated to helping young people who have autism and learning disabilities. How he achieves this is a surprise to his family, and even to himself. There are tragedies along the way, but David has the support of his loving wife, Anita, and together they keep their son at home while at the same time helping other families with similar issues. It is also a story about love; the love that David has for his parents, his wife's parents and his son. It is also about the passionate love his feels for the woman he married and who gave him a son, and the impact that autism has on their relationship. This is a fiction, not a text book, but through the experiences of David, and of course John, it may be possible to gain an understanding of some of the aspects of autism.