Fragile Success: Ten Autistic Children, Childhood to Adulthood, Second Edition

If you have lived or worked with a child with autism, you've wondered what the child will be like as an adult—how the child will develop and learn to live independently. In this uncommon book, you'll get a rare view of autism in all its variations as former teacher Virginia Sperry traces the lives of her students over 30 years. As you follow the children into adulthood, you'll get firsthand facts about this developmental disability as witnessed by their teachers, medical professionals, social workers, and parents. These true case histories provide insight into the mystery and diversity of autism—how it affects the students' personal lives, social habits, work, and hobbies and how their conditions have changed over the years.

In this second edition, the author revisits her students and updates you on their progress. You'll review their original evaluations and see test data collected in adulthood by Fred R. Volkmar, M.D., as well as detailed information about each person's life circumstances, living arrangements, vocation, and social interactions. Several of the case histories include parent commentaries detailing their child's condition and outcomes. You'll discover the recent strides made in the understanding of and medical treatments for autism and be inspired by these ten extraordinary people who have faced adversity and, for some, achieved a fragile success.

Virginia Walker Sperry, M.A., was Director of the Elizabeth Ives School of Special Children in New Haven, Connecticut, from 1966 to 1972. A graduate of Bryn Mawr College, she also received her master's degree in early childhood education from Peabody Teacher's College in Nashville, Tennessee. She currently is Research Affiliate at the Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine. Mrs. Sperry has three children, six grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. She lives in Hamden, Connecticut with her husband.

Sally Provence, M.D. (1916-1993), was Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics at the Yale Child Study Center and the Yale School of Medicine and was a national leader in the fields of pediatrics and child development. A graduate of Mary Hardin-Baylor College in 1937 (now the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor) and Baylor University College of Medicine in 1941, Sally trained in pediatrics at Children's Medical Center in Dallas. Before coming to Yale, Sally had a fellowship at Cornell New York Hospital with Dr. Milton J.E. Senn, one of her earliest mentors. In this fellowship she began to integrate information from child psychiatry and social science into her view of pediatrics. At the Yale Child Study Center, Sally founded and served as Director of the world-renowned Child Development Unit from 1951 until her retirement in 1986.

Sally wrote eloquently about the development of young children and their need for nurturing environments, about creating quality child care for them, and about providing support and guidance to their families in her many books and articles, which include Infants in Institutions: A Comparison of Their Development with Family-Reared Infants in the First Year of Life (co-authored with Rose C. Lipton, International Universities Press, 1962), The Challenge of Daycare (co-authored with Audrey Naylor and June Patterson, Yale University Press, 1977), and Working with Disadvantaged Parents and Their Children: Science and Practice Issues (co-authored with Audrey Naylor, Yale University Press, 1983).

A forceful child advocate dedicated to improving the lives of children and parents, Sally was a founding member and past president of ZERO TO THREE: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. This center has become a well-respected national network of support and technical services for professionals who work with young children and families. Sally's many achievements were recognized by the American Academy of Pediatrics when it awarded her with its C. Anderson Aldrich Award for her influence on the fields of pediatrics and child development in 1975. Her profound influence in these fields continues to be recognized. Hillary Rodham Clinton presented ZERO TO THREE's Dolley Madison Award for Outstanding Lifelong Contribution to the Development and Well-being of Very Young Children and Their Families to Sally in 1993, posthumously. In 2000, Sally's memory was honored when ZERO TO THREE presented its first Sally Provence Award for Excellence in Infant Family Practice.