Walker Finds a Way

Most people would describe Walker Hughes as warm, enthusiastic and charismatic - even if he doesn't say very much. But after several happy years living in a group home, Walker descended into a deep unhappiness, and his parents were told that their son with low-functioning autism was 'unmanageable' and a danger to others. Where did it all go wrong?

From the author of Running with Walker, this witty and touching memoir tells a story of crisis and recovery of a young man with low-functioning autism. Battling miscommunication, misinterpreted behaviour and a lack of appropriate services, Walker and his parents' resilience shines through, providing a much-needed portrayal about what life is like for adults with low-functioning autism, and how we can understand the complex personalities of people with communication difficulties.

“In this honest to the bone, mesmerizing memoir about life with an adult autistic son, Robert Hughes exposes the wretched reality that typically faces special needs adults and their loved ones. But beneath the surface of outrage toward a society that does so little for our most vulnerable people, Hughes graciously elevates the good in the human spirit each time he finds it. Ultimately, this is a story of a family's determination to use their eccentricities, wit, optimism, wisdom, and love for each other, to thwart a broken system that dared to challenge Walker's right to live happy and well.”

-- Liane Holliday Willey, author of Pretending to be Normal: Living with Asperger's Syndrome and Safety Skills for Asperger Women: How to Save a Perfectly Good Female Life

Robert Hughes is the author of Running with Walker: A Memoir, also published by JKP. His articles have appeared in Newsweek, the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun-Times, Parents Magazine, and Chicago Magazine, and he has contributed commentary to WBEZ, Chicago Public Radio. He holds a Ph.D. in English literature from Northwestern University and taught writing at Truman College, City Colleges of Chicago. He lives with his family in Chicago.

Most people would describe Walker Hughes as warm, enthusiastic and charismatic - even if he doesn't say very much. But after several happy years living in a group home, Walker descended into a deep unhappiness, and his parents were told that their son with low-functioning autism was 'unmanageable' and a danger to others. Where did it all go wrong? From the author of Running with Walker, this witty and touching memoir tells a story of crisis and recovery of a young man with low-functioning autism. Battling miscommunication, misinterpreted behaviour and a lack of appropriate services, Walker and his parents' resilience shines through, providing a much-needed portrayal about what life is like for adults with low-functioning autism, and how we can understand the complex personalities of people with communication difficulties.

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