In NOT MY BOY, Rodney Peete offers not only a heartrending, candid look inside his personal journey with his son's autism but a first-of-its-kind, inspirational road map that will help families facing similar challenges move forward. Effectively woven throughout Peete's moving account of his life with his autistic son, R.J., will be the powerful voices, insights and dreams of other fathers, both high-profile as well as unsung heroes, who've traveled this difficult path.
This book is also the story of a marriage. Many marriages fall apart when confronted with the struggle of raising a special-needs child; the book explores how Rodney and his wife, the actress Holly Robinson Peete, fought through the challenge and strengthened their marriage instead.
Autism is the fastest-growing developmental disability in the U.S. today. It affects four times as many boys as it does girls. In 1998, Rodney and his wife, actor Holly Robinson Peete, received the news that every parent of a young child dreads: their son, R.J., had autism. Broadsided by the diagnosis and feeling his dreams for his son were cruelly stolen from him, Rodney retreated into anger and denial-an all-too-common reaction among fathers. Holly immersed herself in autism research and rallied Rodney to fight for their son. With determination, love, and understanding, the family worked with R.J. to help him once again engage with the world. Eight challenging years later, R.J. has gone from the toddler son whom one doctor advised would never say, "I love you" to a thriving, vibrant boy who scored his first soccer goal as his proud father cheered him on from the sidelines.
