Research Catalog
Seeing Ezra : a mother's story of autism, unconditional love, and the meaning of normal / Kerry Cohen.
- Title
- Seeing Ezra : a mother's story of autism, unconditional love, and the meaning of normal / Kerry Cohen.
- Author
- Cohen, Kerry
- Publication
- Berkeley, Calif. : Seal Press : Distributed by Publishers Group West, c2011.
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1 Item
| Status | Format | Access | Call Number | Item Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Text | Request in advance | RJ506.A9 C626 2011 | Off-site |
Details
- Description
- 285 p. : ill.; 24 cm.
- Summary
- "Seeing Ezra is the soulful, beautifully written memoir of a mother's fierce love for her autistic son, and a poignant examination of what it means to be normal." When Kerry Cohen's son Ezra turns one, a babysitter suggests he may be different," setting her family on a path in which autism dominates their world. As he becomes a toddler and they navigate the often rigid and prescriptive world of therapy, Cohen is unsettled by the evaluations they undergo: At home, Ezra is playfully expressive, sharing profound, touching moments of connection and intimacy with his mother and other family members, but in therapy he is pathologized, prodded to behave in ways that undermine his unique expression of autism. It soon becomes clear that more is at stake than just Ezra's well-being; Cohen and her marriage are suffering as well. Ezra's differentness, and the strain of pursuing varied therapies, takes a toll on the family-Cohen's husband grows depressed and she pursues an affair-all as she tries to help others recognize and embrace Ezra's uniqueness rather than force him to behave outside his comfort level. It isn't until they abandon the expected, prescriptive notions about love, marriage, and individuality that they are able to come back together as two parents who fiercely love their little boy. Powerful and eye-opening, Seeing Ezra is an inspirational chronicle of a mother's struggle to protect her son from a system that seeks to compartmentalize and fix" him, and of her journey toward accepting and valuing him for who he is-just as he is"--Provided by publisher.
- "Seeing Ezra is a memoir about a mother's challenges while raising a child with autism"--Provided by publisher.
- Subject
- Genre/Form
- Local author.
- Autobiography
- Autobiographies
- Biographies
- Autobiographies.
- Bibliography (note)
- Includes bibliographical references and index.
- Processing Action (note)
- committed to retain
- Contents
- Preface -- Fall in Oregon: Two years old (Mind blindness ; Early intervention ; Genetic markers ; Defining normal) -- Spring in Massachusetts: Four years old (Adaptive behavior ; First steps ; Young Frankenmilk ; Facilitated communication ; Visual spatial skills ; Tactile defensiveness ; Broken-mirror theory ; Least restrictive environment ; Difficulty with transitiosn ; (Un-) cooperative play ; Not otherwise specified) -- Summer in Oregon: Seven years old (Parallel play ; Augmentative communication ; Joint attention ; Literal thinking ; Central coherence ; Emotion recognition ; Visual learning ; Theory of mind).
- ISBN
- 9781580053693 (hardback)
- 1580053696 (hardback)
- LCCN
- ^^2011009415
- OCLC
- 707257237
- SCSB-11258984
- Owning Institutions
- Harvard Library