How on earth did I miss this book when it first came out? One of my wonderful savvy parents brought it to one of our sessions and told me I just had to read it. She thought it would really speak my language. Boy, does it. I salute the authors' ability to discuss and guide parents to be validated in the importance of continual challenges in ways that are manageable AND in the individual's best interest. Frequently, I will have one parent who pushes their teen or young adult over the edge of competency, assuming they're lazy, assuming manipulation or simply that they need a severe kick in the pants. Then I have the other parent, who worries about over-stressing their child and therefore over-compensates, making life easy and comfortable.
This book is a beautiful mix of how important it is to gain connection through empathy while then deliberately challenging with high and continual expectations. This combination can guide your teen or young adult to venture out of their comfort zone and into the rest of their lives.
I highly recommend this book to any parent of a teen or adult with autism. I'm only half way through and will continue to update this page with favorite quotes and words of wisdom from within it's pages.
https://www.amazon.com/Loving-Push-Professionals-Spectrum-Successful/dp/1941765203
"If you want a road to lead you somewhere different you have to change too. If you don't change where you are going, you will continue going where you are headed." -pg 7
"Remember that children or adults with high levels of hopefulness have been through adversity. Hope does not spring from contentment or security. They house of hope is built brick by brick - calamity upon hardship upon mishap upon mistake. With each trial, our children have the opportunity to develop their resilience, skills, flexibility, and adaptability. These trials provide necessary occasions to struggle and grow. And in doing that, they learn how to believe in themselves." pg. 48
