Raising Blaze: A Mother and Son's Long, Strange Journey into Autism

This book is a must-read for all moms of "extraordinary" kids everywhere! It is also a great book for family members and teachers of kids on the PDD/Autism spectrum, to help them understand what we go through as moms, and the frequent confusion/uncertainty of any diagnosis. I was encouraged and inspired by her bravery in standing up to the "system", her willingness to sacrifice for her son, and moved to tears many times by their struggles. I admire her honesty in revealing parts of her life she must have known many would judge or be critical of. The result is a book we can truly relate to, written by a mom who is imperfect (like the rest of us), who simply wants what is best for her son.

Debra Ginsberg doesn't like labels, that may be the main theme of the book. I do like lables. I have one, I am autistic, I have another, I have Asperger's syndrome. I would say that Debra's son probably could get an AS diagnosis and may have one by now. So in spite of her view of labels, I think it's a good book to read if you have AS yourself or have a child with AS. The descriptions of good, bad, indifferent and truly hideous school district staff and teachers are great. I had forgotten about the power that teachers can have over families and the visciousness that they can dump onto parents and kids. That all came back to me in reading this book. It's post traumatic IEP syndrome. (yes, some teachers are fabulous)I'm glad she gave such a detailed view of her extended family and I'm very glad that she and Blaze had them for support.I hope Blaze is doing well.

I am a retired elementary school teacher. I've had many mainstreamed children in my classes. Teachers should read this book. It gives the parent's point of view, what iep meetings seem like to her and how frustrating it is for the parent to be faced with a lot of experts who think they know more about her son than she does. That said, I imagine that having Blaze in a regular classroom situation with 24 or so other students would be very hard for the teacher and her students because he might interupt the learning of the other students.Disruptive behavior always takes something away from those students who are trying to do their work. Blaze did his best in the special education class during 5th. and 6th. grades. I'm sorry he wasn't placed with another teacher who understood him. This is an honest book. I didn't always agree with Blaze's mother, but she certainly tells it as she sees it. I must add that I wondered why she provided no playmates for Blaze until he entered his horrible year in Kindergarten. If you are a teacher this is a must read book.

As a teacher in a public school, I feel "Raising Blaze", is a must read for new teachers as well as any teacher who believes in life long learning. This book allowed me to reflect on my profession and on myself as a teacher. Seeing through the eyes and emotions of a parent who is struggling to come to terms with a "different" child is powerful. More powerful though is seeing through the eyes of the different child while he tries to learn his way through the maze of educational "red tape" while trying to maintain a sense of self worth. This book is a must read if you care about changing the lives of children and students. What we do and say in the classroom room can have both negative and positive ramifications for years to come. This book will remind you how powerful teachers are and how it is most important to never allow this power to be abused.

Debra Ginsberg has accomplished the near-impossible: she's written a book about one of the most difficult human experiences there is--raising a child who is troubled and troubling--and managed to make the reading experience not only uplifting but enlightening. Raising Blaze is disturbing, beautiful, poignant, and moving. It's also a call to action. We don't need to accept mistreatment of our children by a system that devalues them, as Ginsberg shows us so poetically. The best book I've read on the topic, and the best memoir to come along in a long time.