The Catholic Telegraph, the official paper for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, recently published a review of my book. I think it is one of the better reviews from a parent of an autistic child, so I want to share it with those in a similar situation.
Bo Bonner wrote the following about his experience:
I have been blessed to live with my autistic son, Elias, for 15 years. During that time, I have come to appreciate from Elias the fundamental frustration of misunderstandings…
Happily, Father Matthew P. Schneider’s new book, God Loves the Autistic Mind, provides a path to understanding differently in place of misunderstanding. As the subtitle indicates, the book is a “prayer guide for those on the spectrum and those who love us.” Indeed, the first thing I did after reading the book was share it with my son, because I wanted to know what he would say. As is often the case, he surprised me with his take.
I anticipated hearing how particular pieces of advice struck him, how the lists of information organized things for him, or how the structure of the reflections might appeal to him. But this was a manifestation of my misunderstanding of how this book was written for autistic minds. Because of the attention Father Schneider pays to how the autistic mind works, Elias was able to cut to the heart of the book—how to pray. My son was moved to sympathy for other autistic people’s struggles, as outlined by Father Schneider. He let me know he would pray for them—a ringing endorsement for the book!
You can read the rest of the review over on the Catholic Telegraph‘s website. The Archdiocese of Cincinnati also has some resources on sensory-friendly Masses.
