The Accidental Teacher: Life Lessons from My Silent Son: An Autism Memoir

By Annie Lubliner Lehmann

Book Overview

"Jonah Lehmann is an accidental teacher of others, including his family and friends. This personal and touching account of Jonah's life is enlightening, especially to those coming to terms with similar challenges with autism and other cognitive disabilities. It was written with love to support research on autism, and I recommend it to anyone and everyone touched by those of us who are different."
---Patricia E. Kefalas Dudek, Legal Advocate for People with Disabilities

"I have never read a book about a disabled person that caught me from page one. I could not put this one down. Lehmann offers a profound perspective on living with the reality of a severely disabled child. This book will be required reading for students who take my class in Special Education Administration."
---Frances LaPlante-Sosnowsky, Associate Professor of Education at Wayne State University

"A story of the astonishing power of human love and family triumph over hardship. Lehmann's story, engaging and at times both heartbreaking and joyful, offers an intimate view of one mother's journey as she works with professionals and a blur of caregivers to assist the ever-changing needs of her son. I highly recommend it to seasoned professionals in the field of autism and students preparing for careers in special education."
---Janet E. Graetz, Assistant Professor of Human Development and Child Studies at Oakland University

A child teaches without intending to . . .
Having severe autism does not stop Annie Lehmann's son Jonah from teaching her some of life's most valuable lessons. The Accidental Teacher, a heartfelt memoir about self-discovery rather than illness, uses insight and humor to weave a tale rich with kitchen-table wisdom. It explains the realities of life with a largely nonverbal son and explores the frustrations and triumphs of the Lehmann family as Jonah grew into a young adult. This book is a must-read for anyone who has been personally touched by a major life challenge.

Annie Lubliner Lehmann, a freelance writer for more than twenty-five years, has published articles in many newspapers and magazines, including the New York Times and Detroit Free Press. She resides in Michigan with her husband and two of her three children. Her eldest son, who inspired this memoir, is now a young adult with autism who lives in a supervised home.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0472050745
• ISBN13: 9780472050741
• Release Date: June 2009
• Publisher: University of Michigan Press
• Length: 184 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 4.9" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

The Sound of Silence

When Jonah Lehmann was born in 1983, the world was starting to move in the direction of tolerance towards people with autism. Jonah displayed severely autistic behavior from infancy and to this day remains largely nonverbal. He has had severe epilepsy since the age of 12. Jonah was exposed to a myriad of treatments, including Facilitated Communication and Auditory Integration Therapy. Due to his severe cognitive delays, these approaches do not appear to have made any inroads in Jonah's severely autistic behavior. The one place that seemed to meet Jonah's great needs was the Higashi School in Boston. The Higashi School's primary approach is teaching their students to remain fixed and focused and to provide visible goals. At 10, Jonah left his Michigan home for Boston where he remained at Higashi until he aged out of the program at 21. Jonah has been an Accidental Teacher. His younger siblings, David, 6 years his junior and Ruth, 9 years his junior have demonstrated great tolerance toward others because of their experiences with Jonah. They have been their brother's staunchest advocates and David is even seriously considering a career in neurology. David, at the time of the book's release worked in a home with adults with special needs. Jonah's story is proof positive that not only can everybody learn, but that everybody has something to teach and impart. Simon & Garfunkel's "Sound of Silence" could easily be the soundtrack of this book. Jonah may be largely nonverbal, but his story and the compassion of his siblings will resonate for a lifetime.

Autism from another perspective that many a mother will appreciate

Learning is not something that stops when one graduates high school, or even college. "The Accidental Teacher: Life Lessons from My Silent Son" is one mother's experiences with her son's autism. Not intended to be a book about autism, but instead a book of learning from a mother's perspective on the lessons of life she learned from her son's condition. "The Accidental Teacher" is autism from another perspective that many a mother will appreciate.

FANTASTIC

This book provides realistic insight into the life of a parent with a child with autism. It also allows anyone facing a major life challenge to find comfort in what the author is willing to share. The book flows nicely and makes for an easy and enjoyable read!