The Boy Who Loved Windows: Opening the Heart and Mind of a Child Threatened by Autism

In 1997, writer Patricia Stacey and her husband, Cliff, learned that their six–month–old son, Walker, might never walk or talk, or even hear or see. Unwilling to accept this grim prognosis, they embarked on a five–year odyssey that took them into alternative medicine and the newest brain research – and toward a new and innovative understanding of autism. Finally their search brought them to pioneering developmental psychiatrist, Stanley Greenspan, who helped them save their son and bring him into full contact with the world. This enthralling memoir, at once heart–wrenching and hopeful, takes the reader into the life of one remarkable family willing to do anything to give their son a rich and emotionally full life. We follow as they struggle to elicit the first sign that their son is connecting with them, and share in their fears, struggles, tiny victories, and eventual triumphs. The Boy Who Loved Windows is not only a compelling and inspiring story for parents and professionals who care for children with autism and other special needs, but also a stunning literary debut. It will captivate anyone who cares about the lives of children and the passion of families who put them first against huge odds. "This beautifully written book is a gifted writer’s account of her efforts to find help for her son. You will be fascinated, as I was, by her relentless, inspired search and by the wonderful results she achieved. You will enjoy The Boy Who Loved Windows ." Bernard Rimland, PhD, Director, Autism Research Institute "This elegantly written book will provide valuable insights and methods for helping young children with autism to develop. All those who teach young children should definitely read this book." Temple Grandin, author of Thinking in Pictures

Acknowledgments. Part 1. Sirens. You’ll Have to Wait. Grasping. Part 2. What’s in a Face. The World Is Too Much. Reciprocity. The Brain Doesn’t Wait. The Game. The Body Is a Map. Part 3. The Questions That Haunted Us. New Clues. A Walk Around the Driveway. The Epidemic. Part 4. Through a Door in the Wall. A Challenge, a Game, a Vocation, a Sentence. Begin with Desire. Tyranny of Attention. Partly Heard Song. Words. The Specter of Loss. Ways to Make a Salad. The Ladder. To Paradise Pond. Exotic Poisons, Unusual Connections. Through Another Door in the Wall. Part 5. Imagining the World. A Close Call. Companions. A Searchlight. The Senses Revisited. Part 6. I Have a Prob’em. Epiphany. What Wrecks This World. A Car Turning Off the Road. Eyes of a Stranger. The Fate of Babies and Pirates. Epilogue. About the Author.

“… describes how a mother embraced the latest brain research and alternative therapies to help her son overcome autism…” (Young Minds, January 2004) “This is a remarkable and moving book… Stacey writes with an honesty and modesty that is wholly beguiling…” (Zero2Nineteen, March 2004) “…beautifully told story…” (Human Givens Journal, July 04)