Review
Claire McDermott is profoundly affected by this true-life tale from a local author.
- A World of Our Own
- Poolbeg
A World of Our Own
Like many people, I’ve long harboured the notion that I will one day write a book. I know I’ve got at least one novel in me; trouble is I don’t have the time to write it.
What with work, hobbies, family and friends, I have yet to find that spare hour to put pen to paper.
So, I got a reality check recently when I met up with Aileen McCallan. She provided me with the motivation I need to stop procrastinating and just go and do it. After all, she has exactly the same number of hours in her day and she did it - on top of running a household, working at the local community radio station and caring for her three children, one of whom is autistic.
In her first publication, A World of Our Own, Aileen shares her family’s personal journey with autism. Their lives changed irrevocably during the gradual realisation that there was ‘something wrong’ with their precious toddler, Cian, and the ensuing medical visits in search of a diagnosis. Being told Cian had autism trapped them in an unfamiliar world where, because of a lack of support, they were forced to help him themselves. The book is an honest account of their struggles to help Cian develop and shows the toll autism took on the family – the isolation, the frustration, the lack of sleep, the stress, the worry and the impact that the condition made on the family unit. But it also shows the moments that made their efforts all worthwhile – moments where Cian showed true progress and a connection with the world; moments that gave them hope.
Reading A World of Our Own brought many things home to me. As someone who doesn’t know an awful lot about autism, it was an education. It showed how a mother’s love can make all the difference to a child’s life and it made me angry that these children do not have access to the treatments and interventions that would drastically improve their chances of making sense of this world. Some of the stories shamed me as they highlighted the ignorance and intolerance we display towards people who do not behave ‘normally’, so it’s taught me to be more accepting of others. And above all, it’s a really great read. For all of those reasons, I highly recommend the book and I’d advise you to go and get yourself a copy. As for me, I’m off now to start my book.
