Strange Son

By Portia Iversen

Book Overview

The groundbreaking true story of two mothers, worlds apart, united in a struggle to connect with their autistic sons. Emmy(r)-winning art director Portia Iversen's life was turned upside down when her... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1573223115
• ISBN13: 9781573223119
• Release Date: December 2006
• Publisher: Riverhead Hardcover
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 1.44 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 1.5" x 6.3"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 12 and higher

Customer Reviews

A Crayon and Cardboard Facilitates Communication for a Child with Autism!

Dov Iverson was 18 months old when diagnosed with severe autism, according to Strange Son. This developmental disorder left him without the ability to interact with himself and the outside world. The Iverson family was devastated. They faced the terrible sadness of raising a dearly loved son with whom they could not communicate in any meaningful way. In his early years, Dov's room was filled with playthings that would fascinate a normal child. Dov preferred sitting with his head turned to one side, staring vacantly upward flapping his hands tirelessly, or flicking his fingers at the side of his face (stimming). At other times he would chase around his room, or run through the house, making high-pitched shrieking sounds, never tiring. When Dov was three, the family went to the Jersey shore. Dov still wasn't talking. Over and over the young boy would splash his hands through a small puddle, or sit spinning the wheels of a toy truck, his eyes staring into space. When he was not running aimlessly on the beach, "Dov put his ear to the sand and listened to the ground...!" Author Portia Iverson and her husband Jon sought the help of the most renowned specialists. They turned to books, hunting for any glimpse of hope to help them break through to their son's mind. But experts and research told of limited and somewhat questionable results. Communication appeared hopeless. Through the National Autistic Society of the U.K., Iverson learned of Soma and her son Tito in Bangalore, India. Like Dov, Tito was severely autistic, yet Soma had made startling advances with him. Tito could not talk, but Soma could communicate with him using a very simple board on which the alphabet was written along with numerals. Tito communicated so well that he spelled out beautiful lines of poetry that eventually were published. According to Strange Son, the Iverson's brought Tito and his mother to the United States, where Soma began her systematic method with Dov. Just getting the boy's attention and keeping it was difficult, but Soma was determined to work her miracle. She would wave the letter board in front of Dov's upturned eyes, sometimes touching it against his nose, while incessantly questioning him about something she'd just read to him. Dov began to respond. It was amazing that he could spell out an answer while not looking down at the letter board. How had he learned the alphabet? Author Iverson carefully studied Soma's technique until she, too, could communicate with Dov. The two women identified reasons why Soma's method worked. 1) Nerves from each of the two hemispheres of the brain are connected to opposite sides of the body. 2) Soma sat on Dov's right side. 3) She talked in his right ear. 4) She prodded him by touching his right knee or shoulder. 5) But she always held Dov's left hand still, when it began disrupting as he pointed to the alphabet letters with his right. This technique seemed to keep one half of the brain from interfering with the other

Astounding and Profound.

This book is profound and will have you losing days of productivity, unable to put it down. This book was one of the most impactful books that I have ever read in my life.

Strange Son changes the way you think about autism.

Strange Son is a stunning book. The book is the story of two mothers and their sons who have autism. It recounts how their search for better treatments for autism and a cure prompted scientific experts to question their fundamental beliefs about autism and to undertake new types of research. This powerful story gives such an incredible amount of hope to families who long to know what their autistic child is thinking and feeling. I would recommend it to anyone who loves someone with autism.

beyond autism

The book is a compelling read about autism, yes. But it asks the bigger question: how do we know another person? It brings into relief the rather fragile methods scientists (and non-scienists) use to answer this basic question. Guess what? Sometimes it takes a woman from India with a piece of paper and 26 letters to offer up a glimpse of some sort of truth.

Truly an amazing book

As a parent of a child with autism I have read well over 200 books on the topic. I learn something from just about every book I pick up. And as you would expect some books are bombs where I feel they were a waste of time providing no information and perpetuating the myth of no hope. Other books are tremendous providers of needed information and take great efforts to open your eyes to a new concept or paradigm. This is one of those books. The book by Portia Iverson featuring the amazing Soma, Tito and her son Dov was one of those books that not only opened my eyes but taught me a few things that are extremely important. 1) There is always a soul waiting to be untapped in the body of a person with autism. It is up to us to figure how to connect with them and more importantly get them to communicate with us. 2) Some words to all parents with a child affected by autism: Never give up. You have not done "everything" because there is more out there to do in every situation for every child or adult affected. 3) Autism is not autism - it is autismS. Each person is unique and how they are affected and what unlocks their abilities. This book is a tremendous story of accomplishments that needed to be shared. I highly recommend it for any parent, researcher or someone who wants to get a glimpse of autism and its mysterious way it can affect a person. It provided great insight and information that will remain with me forever. This book is not about recovery but a major breakthrough that could greatly change the lives of families with a non verbal and severly autistic child. It could also provide light to someone that has a high functioning child. It is that profound. Thank you for writing it Portia and sharing this important story.