Welcome to My Life: A Personal Parenting Journey Through Autism

I first heard about Laurie and her book when she was a guest on Mary Barbera’s autism podcast. I am so glad I found this book! I am a mom to a young child with autism and I find Laurie to be so inspiring. Her book is fascinating; a real glimpse into the life of a family with a child with severe non verbal autism. This book is deeply personal, and Laurie holds nothing back nor does she sugarcoat anything. She is a mom who loves her son fiercely but is honest about the challenges his life bring. The audiobook is a must-listen because you get to hear Laurie herself tell her story. Whether you have any connections to the autism community yourself it does not matter, you will love this book. I would give it ten stars if I could. Laurie is my hero!

This book was the most wonderful surprise! Let me begin by saying I know the family, I’ve known Josh over 20 years and have loved getting to know Laurie. I was actually present for some of the stories. That being said, I did not expect to relate to this book. In fact, I was afraid to read it. I have neurotypical children, Josh being the godfather of my youngest. Thus, I fully expected to be consumed with guilt from page one. So much so, I procrastinated reading it until the actual book launch & I knew I’d be seeing Josh & Laurie. I anticipated overwhelming shame for not being a more helpful presence in Laurie & Josh’s daily life. But I love them, so, I took a deep breath & started to read. Once I started, I couldn’t stop - completed in one sitting! ...& I’m a cliff-notes kinda girl!! What I read was the recounting of the most beautiful transformation that every human yearns to achieve. I could feel layers of heaviness dropping off Laurie with every page I turned. THE MAGNIFICENCE OF TRUTH! The ability to come out of life’s shadows caused by fear and into the light & freedom of pure honesty! Nothing to hide. Not so worried about what the world thinks, all skills I yearn for greatly! Although our daily protocols are no where near the same, I was amazed at just how many times I thought, “that’s me, that’s my story!” Perhaps it has something to do with our shared meticulous, perfection seeking virgo nature, or surviving the inhumane morbidity of a marriage’s end, or the soul-filling gift of finding true purpose in our children,..... I’m not sure what the root cause, but I thank God for it because this book brought me so much comfort and hope. Well done beautiful soul!

Laurie’s book is absolutely wonderful. I fell in love with both her and her son as she shared their life. Not only was it informational and educational, it also helped me feel not so alone on my own autism journey. I highly recommend this book!

I was hooked from page one! This beautifully written memoir is authentic, honest, raw, and eye opening, with a touch of humor sprinkled throughout. The book’s style is very conversational, as if the author is speaking to the reader, which makes an extremely difficult situation comfortable to read. I could feel the joy and pain as Ms. Hellmann described various situations she and her family experienced, or at times, were not able to experience. The main focus of this book is how a family lives and loves with a child who has severe, non-verbal autism. It would be of help to anybody who has, or knows of, a family with any kind of disability. However, I think it should almost be required reading for “normal” families, to give them an insight into the difficulties faced by those who have a disabled child. Some of the issues are unfathomable to those of us who were blessed with healthy children. This book certainly will elicit more compassion and understanding by those of us who are uninformed or unexposed. Although it is not firsthand experience, I personally feel much more enlightened and will be more compassionate when encountering families of autistic children.

Laurie is such a great writer. This book lets you in to the realness of special. Weds while giving you a glimpse of a moms journey to help her son!

This book brought forth every emotion - joy, laughter, pain, anger, love, etc. The author's story is amazing on it's own but how she shares it is equally as stunning. Laurie's journey with Skyler & Kendall is precious and her honest, raw & authentic description of that journey will move anyone who reads this book in a profound way. This is one of those rare books that I know I will read over and over again through the years and I can't recommend it enough for everyone. No matter your age or family situation there is something that will touch you in the pages of this book and change your life for the better...even if it's just as simple as putting a smile on your face in the moment you turn from one page to the next.

Great book for any parent with an autistic family member. Get the tissues ready!

This was a real and honest book from page 1. I've known Laurie since college, and while I haven't seen her in years, I've watched her children grow via Facebook and seen glimpses of the struggles and triumphs. Her book, however, delves into details about raising a child with Autism, as well as how that contributes to raising a child without autism, family dynamics, and everyday life. I appreciated Laurie's honesty through the good, the bad, and the downright "sucky". Different parts of their story made me laugh, made me cry, and made me incredibly proud to know Laurie. Skyler, Kendall, Josh, and Laurie are so lucky to have one another! This is definitely a MUST READ!