David's Gift

When Author Sally Thibault's son David was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, an Autism Spectrum disorder, in 1997, it was the beginning of a long, painful struggle. Now in her new book David's Gift, Asperger's Syndrome, Life & Love - One Family's Inspirational Journey from Diagnosis to Graduation, Sally tells the story of how her son went from being a sad, lonely, bullied 15 year old boy who dropped out of school in Grade 10 to now living life as a confident, articulate University graduate, who has traveled extensively and now in a living in a loving relationship."If somebody had told me a decade ago that this is where our life would be now... I would never have believed them!" said Sally. "There was a time when I truly believed that we had no options. Now I can look back on that time and see exactly how the strategies we put into place created the success".Eloquently written with raw truth and honesty this real life story confronts the truth about understanding non-judgment and a child with a difference. Sally's exploration of the day to day struggles faced by parents of a child with Asperger's Syndrome is insightful and candid.Its a story about a special boy and his extraordinary parents, who move from wishing to make their son 'normal' to recognizing his unique difference and personality. It's a love story about a son and a family and a very special mother who helped David take his first steps towards a less fearful, more connected life. Already being touted as a must read for all parents, teachers and health care professionals, the book helps others understand the pain and emotions parents deal with as they navigate the challenges of parenting a child living with Asperger's Syndrome."If teachers and health care professionals can understand how painful and emotional this journey is for parents, I think we would go a long way to making great in roads for creating successful outcomes for these children. Our story is the example" she said. David's Gift, Asperger's Syndrome, Life & Love - One Family's Inspirational Journey from Diagnosis to Graduation offers relevant lessons including: -How to handle children's challenging behaviors at home and at school.-Why children with autistic spectrum disorder are often unfairly misjudged as difficult or naughty.-How to help ASD children cope with their emotions, school, bullying and relationships.-Other people's judgments; how to deal with them and how to overcome them-What all children need in order to navigate their lives effectively, and-Why having a child of difference is a gift that enables parents to be far greater parents than they thought possible.As Sally says "When Asperger's Syndrome first came into our lives it presented us with a challenge that, at the time, seemed sad, unfair and overwhelming. It is only now I can see that it was in fact an incredible gift. As parents, we had to become the people we wanted David to be. What we learned about ourselves and who we became as people, was David's gift to us.
About the Author: Sally Thibault Dip. Prof. Counselling, ADAPEF Sally is an author, speaker and lecturer, working with parents, teachers and universities to provide information about parenting and teaching a child on the autism spectrum. She focuses particularly on the impact of the diagnosis on parents, their relationship and other family members. Sally is known for her wisdom, knowledge and compassion as well as down-to-earth logic and a no-nonsense approach to the challenges, the triumphs and the difficulties that families face every day in raising a child diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. Together with husband Gerry and Nutritional Coach Kris Barrett she co-facilitates the very popular Food, Family and Asperger's seminars - a four hour workshop which delves into the issues of diet and behavior; the impact of the diagnosis on fathers; how create good working relationships with teachers and how to teach ASD children to develop bully-resilience. Sally and Gerry also hold Aspergers and You Seminars providing intense work for parents to examine their relationship, values and beliefs about parenting a child on the Autism Spectrum. Sally speaks regularly on the topics of Autism and the impact on families at conferences, workshops, teacher in-service training and is a curriculum adviser and guest lecturer at the University of Southern Queensland. She is also a highly sought after inspirational and motivational professional speaker focusing on inspiring individuals to develop to value-based, heart-centered approaches to life, love and business. Sally is the author of two other books 'Wise Mothers, Raising Teenagers in the Social Media era' A Parable highlighting the urgent need for wisdom in raising children in the era of technology, social media and mass marketing & Asperger's Bullying and School - Helping your ASD Child Develop Bullying-Resilience at School and for Life', with practical strategies to help parents to teach their Asperger's child bully-resilience strategies. Sally has featured regularly as a media commentator on Asperger's and Autism on national TV, radio, and newspaper, and is a guest writer for many magazines and on-line blogs. She holds a Diploma of Professional Counselling, is a fellow of the Association of Development Professionals in Education, and member of the Board of Trustees of The Goda Foundation Sally and Gerry are the parents of three adult children, and currently live on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.