Love That Boy

Shirley J.          Adult Non-Fiction Biography             Ron Fournier's parental journey with his son who has Asperger's Syndrome

Love That Boy by Ron Fournier   240 pages

This is the story of Ron Fournier, his family, the expectations he had for his children and the parental journey he embarked on when he and his wife discovered their son has Asperger's Syndrome.   Tyler's parents knew something was going on but thought his tendency to burst out of the blue with multitudinous facts about something that interested him was just boyish exuberance.   They noticed he did not seem to pick up on social cues nor seem to be able to read people's moods by their expressions, etc., but again they assumed these were behaviors he would outgrow.   He didn't.   They thought, maybe he has Autism but as his wife was watching t.v. one day, they began to discuss Asperger's Syndrome and she mentally noted all the similarities in her son.   She discussed it with Ron, they took Tyler to be examined and it was found he was an "Aspie," as people with Asperger's Syndrome are affectionately called.   It opened new doors for all of them.  The doctors explained the way Tyler sees life to them and offered direction in how to help him to be able to function as best as possible.  Ron, who was a press reporter at the White House, took his son to meet Presidents he knew well enough to ask the favor of allowing him and his son to meet with them.   Tyler got to meet and chat with Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush and to visit several of the Presidential Libraries.  Bonding and learning was a joyous experience for father and son and Ron learned so much from his son on how to be a better parent by letting his son be who he is instead of trying to mold him into his (Ron's) expectations.  A father and son story told with love.   Especially helpful for Aspie families, I recommend this one to readers from Middle School on up.