Kate Swenson

Kate Swenson bares her soul in "Forever Boy," a memoir about her efforts to help her special-needs son. Swenson married when she twenty-four; her husband, Jamie, was twenty-nine. After experiencing a heartbreaking miscarriage, Kate became pregnant again and gave birth to a beautiful baby boy named Cooper. Soon, however, Kate and Jamie noticed that their newborn slept poorly, screamed incessantly, and when he reached the age when children start to speak, was non-verbal. Kate and Jamie hoped show more that Cooper was a late bloomer who would catch up to the other kids in time. However, after he was diagnosed with severe autism shortly before his fourth birthday, it became clear that Cooper and his loved ones were in for a long, tiring, and frustrating journey.

The author pulls no punches when she describes the challenges she has faced. Because of Cooper's volatile and unpredictable behavior, he could not attend parties, accompany his mother to the supermarket, or play with his peers. Swenson struggled to find a school where Cooper could develop coping skills. He flapped his arms, made unintelligible sounds, woke Kate up in the middle of the night, and even punched and kicked when he felt frustrated. Although Kate adores Cooper and would do anything to soothe him, she felt herself sinking into depression. Her marriage suffered, she admits that she would occasionally drink too much, and she grew isolated and lonely.

"Forever Boy" is a gut-wrenching book that stands out for its evocative description of a family in crisis. Fortunately, Cooper has made impressive strides in the past few years, although there is no guarantee that he will be able to live independently as an adult. At the very least, Kate would like all of us to understand that children like Cooper—who is now eleven—deserve our understanding and compassion. Having endured so much humiliation and despair, Kate has become a courageous and devoted advocate for children with severe autism. In addition, she provides encouragement for caregivers, many of whom who need strength, tenacity, and realistic optimism in order to get through each day. show less

An amazing book! I’ll likely recommend this book to anyone, especially those mamas that are parenting a child with autism and feel isolated and alone and to people who don’t have a close intimacy with the frustrations and celebrations of loving a kiddo with autism. I’ve followed Kate Swenson on her Instagram page, Finding Cooper’s Voice, and I’m touched and impressed by the transparency in which she shared her family.

A epic story about a good family