The Elephant in the Playroom

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I had been meaning to mention this book here. And I just mentioned it in an email.
So, a small snip from a private email:
I think there's a tee shirt that says something about friends don't count other friend's chromosomes. Maybe there should also be one that says something like shouldn't let a little autism get in our way.
But autism has a lot more flavors, and shades and degrees, than Ds. Couple of titles for your reading list if you want. Fairly short British novel of a few years back, The curious incident of the dog in the night-time by Mark Haddon gives some insights into the workings of a gifted 15 yo boy with, I guess we'd say, Asperger's. And I'm currently about half way through The elephant in the playroom ed. by Denise Brodey. You've probably heard of the Gifts book. Elephant in the playroom is also a collection of contributions by parents, not just moms this time, couple of dads sneak in. Lots of autism in there, just a mention of Ds in passing so far.
Couple of points I just picked up in last few chapters. Need to remember that it's probably tougher being the kid with a disability than it is being the parent of a kid with a disability. And not withstanding that, need to watch these kids. One kid with autism nearly burned the house down by urinating into a vcr. Didn't say but I bet it smelled awful.
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The elephant in the playroom :
ordinary parents write intimately and honestly about the extraordinary highs and heartbreaking lows of raising kids with special needs / Denise Brodey
2007
xvii, 235 p. ; 22 cm.
New York, N.Y. : Hudson Street Press, ; ISBN: 9781594630354 (alk. paper) 1594630356 (alk. paper)

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Okay, I'm about finished with this now. Then I can start the last Harry Potter--no, no, don't tell me.
Snip for today, at end of one of sections, in the schools chapter I think, a parent wrote that it's easy to accommodate a wheelchair but mental illness is much more difficult.
Hmm, well, I don't feel too good about that one. For one thing, am not sure it's in the least true, don't see much easy about a wheelchair. And, even if it were true, don't see any good reason for a parent to write that down in a book. Smacks of the my kid's more disabled than your kid foolishness.
At any rate, book is pretty good. Some interesting insights into lives and views of other parents of kids with variety, wide range, of needs. But collection is uneven. Guess that's to be expected in any such compilation. But this one seems to me much more uneven than the Gifts book.
So, am not going to be buying my personal copy, will just return the interlibrary loan copy. But think it was worth my time checking out. -- Bob