Rules of Her Own

When Cynthia Lord's son was two and a half years old, he had a substantial regression. His mother watched helplessly as he lost words and skills. Even his personality changed.

Shortly thereafter, he was diagnosed with autism.

"I think some things that happen in life are so big, you are never the same person afterward," Lord shares. "Having a child diagnosed with autism was one of those moments in my own life. It rippled change into every corner, organizing even memories into 'before' and 'after.'"

Autism can present in any number of ways and at many different ages. "In some children, it is obvious from birth, while others with Asperger's Syndrome can be four to six years old or even older before receiving an official diagnosis." Lord goes on to say that two and a half years old is a common age for a child to receive the diagnosis because that is the time when delays in language and social skills become increasingly apparent.

SHARING THE STORY

Lord's new fiction book for kids, RULES, is a tender look at adolescence and autism. Through the eyes of 12 year old Catherine, we see how her little brother's autism touches each of her family members in different ways: her mother is caring, her father is distant, and Catherine is both his sister and his teacher. No matter what happens, she tries to teach David rules to make sure he knows the do's and don'ts of life.

Since the world of autism is one she is intimately familiar with, she did not have to do a lot of additional research. What she did have to address were certain technical questions about wheelchairs and other situations for more of the outlying characters. She wanted to ensure that the book had a full and honest portrayal of life for Catherine and her family members.

"Though the family in Rules is not my own family, the book was my attempt to answer some hard questions and understand that whole experience for myself."

BREAKING AND MAKING THE RULES