George & Sam: Two Boys, One Family, and Autism

As Moore astutely points out, "Giving birth to an autistic child doesn't make you an instant expert on the subject." Moore, a British journalist, doesn't claim to be an expert, but as the mother of George and Sam, two autistic boys (she has a third nonautistic son as well), Moore is able to provide a perceptive look into the habits and, to a certain extent, the minds of her sons. "A common belief among people not deeply familiar with autism," she writes, "is that there is a normal child trapped inside, struggling to get out. That's a false belief.... Sam has no 'normal' core." Those casually visiting the world of autism might be frustrated by Moore's detached accounting: she merely hints at her own feelings, doesn't discuss her nonautistic son and skims over her split from the boys' father. But for anyone dealing with an autistic loved one, the details are chilling and insightful. Less memoir than road map, the book lays out every aspect of her children's lives, such as their inability to integrate at school, their eating and sleeping habits, their stims ("self-stimulation," the autistic behavior that can soothe or calm) and the structures of their day. She shies away from nothing. With fact, theory and her own take on matters, Moore's book will reassure others in her position that they are not alone in their struggles. (Dec.)