Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3425646 in Books
• Published on: 2002-08-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 280 pages

Customer Reviews

Searching for a miracle
"Gentle Giant" is, in part, a loving and often funny account of a young man with autism who was clearly as gentle as the title suggests. If nothing else, it gives a very strong sense of how exhausting coping with an autistic child can be.

Yet there were also aspects of the book that I found saddening, even worrying. Wendy Robinson states at many points her faith that there was a normal child somehow "trapped" inside her autistic son, that the autistic boy was just a shell, not the real Grant. In some ways, her quest for a "miracle cure" seems to involve a rejection of the autistic son she describes so well and so affectionately. She praises a number of treatments, such as facilitated communication and holding therapy, which have been claimed to liberate the normal child supposedly trapped inside the autism, without mentioning that both of these have not only been scientifically discredited but also criticized as potentially extremely damaging to the autistic child and their family.

Many high-functioning people with autism such as Temple Grandin have made it clear that there is no normal person inside, and written movingly about their need to be accepted as they are. However difficult and sometimes frustrating living with an autistic person can be, rejecting them in favour of an imaginary normal child inside them is no solution.

I cried for you and your son.
This book was a real eye opener in to the world of an autistic boy and his family. Whilst reading this book I felt apart of the family and lived there happiness, anger, and sorrow. I now work with those who have special needs and have experienced first hand many autistic people. One of whom reminds me of Grant. He is to a gentle giant. I would like to thank you Wendy and your family for sharing your story with so many of us. Because of it I now know where my place is in life and that is helping peolple like your son to get a better education. Thank you.

Gentle Giant is a must for any parent of an autistic child
Gentle Giant is a must to read for any parent especially parents of autistic children. Wendy Robinson's portrayal of her son Grant is a beautifully poignant story. Only a parent of a child like Grant can uderstand what it is like to live with autism in the family. Wendy Robinson gets this across brilliantly. sadly when I read the book I already knew the outcome of the story so that slightly spoilt it for me however it is a book I could read again and again. Having an autistic son myself I can relate to most of the storys that Wendy tells about Grant. It is a book that can make you laugh and can definitely make you cry. I must say that Wendy must have had tremendous courage to write this book but her sense of humour and the love for her family shines through. It is also a tribute to the very necessary people who work with children who have special needs.