David’s Gift

David's Gift

How a mother's greatest challenge became her greatest gift

A new book called David's Gift by Queensland author Sally Thibault was launched in April 2010 during Autism Awareness Month. David's Gift is a real-life story about the personal growth inherent in the author's long struggle with son David's Asperger's Syndrome, an Autistic Spectrum Disorder. The book will help other parents facing challenging behaviours with children to view these challenges as opportunities to become the best parents they can be.

The message of the book is for everyone - that is - it's not what happens to you in life that's important, but how you handle it that matters.

Sally Thibault (say 'tee-bo') was a pioneering parent dealing with Asperger's Syndrome when it was unknown and first being diagnosed in Australia about 12 years ago. Sally's story is inspirational and offers hope to people from all walks of life, especially parents facing challenges with their children.

"When Asperger's first came into our lives it presented us with a challenge that, at the time, seemed sad, unfair and overwhelming. It is only now I can see that it was in fact an incredible gift because the things we most needed to teach David were the things we most needed to learn ourselves," said Mrs Thibault.

"As parents, we had to become the people we wanted David to be. What we learned about ourselves and who we became as people was David's gift to us. Asperger's happens to be our story but the lessons we learnt we can pass on to help other parents who are faced with their own challenges."

David's Gift offers relevant knowledge for every parent, including:

How to handle a child's challenging behaviours at home and at school.

Insights into what makes children appear difficult or naughty.

Discovering your own true parenting skills.

How to help children cope with their emotions, school, bullying and relationships.

What all children need in order to navigate their lives effectively, and

Why having a child of difference is a gift that brings out better parenting techniques - with skills that can be applied to any child and any family.

"The book reveals useful information for parents with tools and strategies to ensure their child grows to be a strong, self-actualised and confident young adult," said Mrs Thibault.

"The story has the potential to transform how people view the challenges they face, by helping readers see how those challenges are a gift offering them opportunity to grow, be better parents and have a better life."

Sally Thibault is a 'wise mother' of three children aged 24, 22 and 16. She hopes her honest account of overcoming parenting challenges will help other parents learn through her experiences.

Next Sally plans to launch a Wise Mothers collection of stories about people who, faced with the challenges of parenting, become inspirations to others. Sally believes parents need the wisdom, confidence and tools to step up and enforce clear boundaries for their children.

"It is through the wise mothers of the current generation that the lost sons and daughters in our community can find guidance to become whole and loving people."

"A Wise Mother knows she must truly embrace physical, emotional, spiritual and intuitive fitness and seek to find the lesson in every challenge in order to move forward and become a better parent," Mrs Thibault said.

When her eldest son David was a toddler, Sally knew he was different from other children. She searched for answers for many years, but it wasn't until David was 12 years old that he was finally diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome in 1997.

"Asperger's Syndrome is the mildest and highest function end of the autistic spectrum. Steven Spielberg was diagnosed with it as an adult. Bill Gates is also suspected to have Asperger's, along with Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, Benjamin Franklin and Ludwig van Beethoven," said Mrs Thibault.

"Today, David is following a similar career path to Spielberg and studying to be a digital video editor, which is perfect for his personality type."

A percentage of sales from David's Gift will be donated to Gold Coast Recreation and Sports Association - a community-based organisation and registered charity that offers social skills programs for people with disabilities. These programs were a lifeline for David during his teenage years.

Review: Truly moving and inspirational. Valuable for every parent to help them create an enjoyable home environment.

David's Gift is available for order at bookstores everywhere and online for $29.95 at www.davidsgift.com