Against All Odds

"Put your son in an institution and move on with your life."

At the age of six, Joe was diagnosed with autism in 1972 and little was known about this disability. Joe's neurologist advised Carol Basile to institutionalize her only son. She refused. With only a mother's fierce love, she began a journey to help her son surpass his limited expectations and lead a meaningful life. Against All Odds is a story of an autistic child who, with courage and determination, struggles through life stages, achieving goals. It is a story of taking opportunities and never giving up. It is a story of the lessons learned to help every parent of an autistic child to see the possibilities instead of the challenges.

Joe went on to build relationships in the community, achieve a Master's Degree, and hold a regular job. His success doesn't have to be the exception. Your child can be more than their diagnosis too.

This heartfelt book is a powerful and practical guide for parents and educators of autistic children. It is filled with resources and first-hand experiences to equip you with the skills you need to help your child flourish in today's world.

Author Carol Basile Ph.D. Carol is the mother of a 55-year-old Autistic son. She is an educator, school psychologist and parenting group facilitator. Carol has been in the field of education for over 40 years. She has had the opportunity to teach grades K-12, was a high school counselor and school psychologist and has specialized in working with at-risk children and adolescents. Carol has facilitated groups at a local Orange County, California clinic where she worked with adolescents who had recently been released from juvenile hall, adults with anger issues, and parents who experienced custody difficulties during divorce proceedings or have lost their children to Social Services for a variety of reasons. Carol presently teaches psychology at an Orange County, California college. Carol is the author of three children's books on differences: The Draco Twins Make a Discovery, The Draco Twins Turn Bullies into Buddies, and The Draco Twins Deal with Divorce which is available in Large Text for visually impaired children

Illustrator John Michael Dickinson John Michael Dickinson is an award winning and internationally collected artist. He has studied numerous art mediums with acclaimed artists and has exhibited his work for over 25 years. He has a Master of Arts in Education Degree and, along with his wife, Carol, co-developed a new art technique that was granted a U.S. Patent. Children's book illustration is the perfect marriage of both John Michaels's many years experience as an elementary school educator and professional artist.