Book Review: Not My Boy!

The Robinson-Peetes are one of my favorite autism families. I have been a longtime supporter of the HollyRod Foundation and look forward to attending their annual gala next month.

There are a lot of books about families struggling with autism. The majority of the books I’ve read are told from the mother’s perspective. I understand why : it is usually mothers who take the lead on interventions and therapies and putting schedules and game plans together. I don’t know this firsthand, but I do know how hard it is for some fathers to have sons with autism – as is the case with the author of this book, Rodney Peete. In Not My Boy, he writes about his initial denial and difficulty accepting his son’s autism diagnosis. He discusses the challenges he had connecting with his child and his desire to see BIG breakthroughs through various therapies. As a star NFL player, Rodney’s expectations and hopes for his son RJ had to drastically change.

And, as we can only wish for ourselves as autism parents – there comes a day when you embrace your child for who they are and celebrate all of the ways in which they thrive.  Rodney tells the story of how he got to that place with his son. It is a powerful read, for any family, not just those affected by autism.

Rodney and his wife, Holly are tireless activists and advocates in the autism community. They have dedicated their lives to philanthropy and fund-raising for intereventions for autism families. I am honored to support them.

For more info, please visit http://www.hollyrod.org