A Friend Like Henry: The Remarkable True Story of an Autistic Boy and the Dog That Unlocked His World

Before reading this book all I knew about autism was that those afflicted with it didn't make eye contact and seemed to be emotionally closed off. This book opened my eyes to what autism is, how incredibly hard both the suffer and parents must work so that they get the right schooling and then succeed in that schooling, and what those strange behaviors may indicate that they are suffering. I found this book fascinating and especially educational for me.

A very moving telling of a mother's efforts to break into her autistic son's world but also to get all the help she could for him. Even to getting a dog, which became the path through the fog to connect him to the world.

This is a lovely true story about how parents and a dog unlocked the world of an autistic boy. The mother is the first person narrator and it's as much her story as the others. An easy, human and uplifting read.

Synopsis: When Nuala and Jamie struggled to enter their son Dale's world of autism, they looked for help. They sought professionals, schools, and intensive therapy - but nothing connected to Dale as well as a golden retriever named Henry. Dale was able to bond with Henry and communicate to and through Henry. With the dog's help, Dale soon began to thrive and come back into his parent's world.

Pros and Cons: As a relative and special education teacher for students with autism, I am always critical when I read a book saying someone/something has "unlocked" the mystery of autism. It is not that easy. Nuala writes about the struggles: the tantrums, the frustration, the drive to advocate for her child. I appreciated that she was honest and show more that the Dale was not "cured" when Henry came into the picture. She discussed the emotional toll that her life had on her. The chaos of living with someone with autism is also felt.

This is a success story in that Dale eventually was able to communicate with people, make friends, and be mainstreamed in school. It took a lot of hard work from Nuala & Jamie, Dale, his team, and a special dog. The bond between Henry and Dale is clearly displayed throughout the book. Included in the book are some of Dales words on his life, a few photos and some artwork that Dale drew. Highly recommended.

The only thing that bothered me was that the book could have used some editing. show less

Details of coping with fairly severe autism are very well detailed - to those uninitiated to this incredibly difficult job - NO this mother is NOT EXAGGERATING. The family's results are quite amazing with their children. It was exhausting to merely sit in a chair & read all that this Scottish SUPERMOM did to successfully "normalize" her children. The book could have used a good chunk of editing, or better still a ghost writer.

Wow! Whenever I see a kid having a screaming tantrum now its going to make me think twice. Autism and its many offshoots is a complex and exhausting disorder that can be hard to diagnose correctly. This books helps you understand it a little better as well as offering, in this particular case, an amazingly unexpected solution. Make sure you have plenty of tissues on hand when reading this. Very moving....

Inspirational story of a mother who refused to give up on her autistic son, and the dog in the family that helped him recover. Focus shifts a bit too much from the boy and his dog onto the mother (and author's) problems, which made the story drag a bit, especially in the second half.

Read the entire review at Dog Ear Diary