Testimonials
Welcome to My Life: A Personal Parenting Journey Through Autism is a courageous memoir written with the intent that others might finally understand what families face when raising a child who relies on parental assistance for every need. Hear what others are saying …
“With exquisite detail and consummate honesty, Laurie Hellmann shares with us the unremitting challenges and ultimate rewards of raising her 17-year-old son with severe autism. You will live this alongside Laurie and her family and will understand her exhaustion, her frustration and her deep abiding love.”
“Welcome to My Life is a heartwarming and at-times heart-wrenching memoir that beautifully illustrates the incredibly brave journey that autism parents and their autistic children take to advocate for inclusion and acceptance. Laurie’s writing gives a voice to her extraordinary son’s courage and achievements while navigating life with autism. This book is a must-read for any autistic person, parent, caregiver, teacher and professional who wants to become a strong advocate for autism inclusion.”
“Welcome to My Life will immediately take hold in your heart and connect you to the deep love of a mother for her son. Laurie Hellmann’s honesty and raw emotion about her family and about her son’s journey through autism offers us all lessons about acceptance, perseverance, courage, spirituality, strength and joy. Her story is proof that nothing is impossible, we should never give up and that, sometimes, it is in our deepest moments of despair where we find hope … hope in ourselves and hope in each other.”
“This is an amazing and emotional story about love, hope, faith and advocacy. Laurie pours her heart out in an attempt to tell her story and, in doing so, helps so many others. Welcome to My Life is a book you’ll want to read more than once. It will be a blessing to so many!”
“I’ve been teaching at the middle school level for 25 years, and this book is an excellent resource for both teachers and students! Because we only see our students with special needs in a school setting, Laurie’s book provides the context for a fuller understanding of the family supports, struggles and successes.”
“Welcome to My Life is an extremely powerful story of raising a child on the autism spectrum. As a fellow autism parent, I appreciate Laurie’s honesty, advocacy and especially her humor. As we deal with the day-to-day, we need to laugh at the unknown and crazy that goes along with raising a child with a disability. This book is a definite must-read for anyone wanting to make our world a better, more inclusive place to live and thrive.”
“I love a book that rings true right from the get-go. As the mother of an adult son with autism, I know what real is, and Laurie nails it. Most of us struggle to just make it through the day, yet she somehow managed to pen this gloriously gut-wrenching, perfectly raw and honest book while still in the trenches. I can’t imagine how. A true warrior mother, her determined fight for her son and her family is a magnificent read. I can’t wait for the movie!”
“Sometimes it’s when you’re on the brink of losing faith that you find exactly what you need most. Laurie Hellmann is a beautiful testament to how powerful the right perspective — and a little faith — can be in the midst of daily challenges. While no one’s life is easy, Laurie faces unique obstacles daily while raising a special-needs child. But even in the thick of some of the hardest parenting struggles, Laurie finds blessings in each moment, seeing God ever-so-present throughout. Her book is a beautiful reminder that we all get the choice to find the silver linings — and to deepen our faith — every day.”
“Welcome to My Life captures the vast struggles that face families raising a child with autism. Laurie Hellmann captures all these challenges with a sense of compassion and humor that only a mother of an autistic child can fully understand. This educational memoir will enlighten everyone who has the pleasure of reading it.”
“In the era of posed and fabricated ‘Insta-worthy’ images of life, the vivid reality of our daily challenges is often hidden. For a special-needs parent, this is crippling. Isolation, self-doubt, and guilt often come hand-in-hand with the already-knee-buckling diagnosis of our precious child. In this book, Laurie Hellmann bravely and beautifully lifts the veil into the lives and struggles that so many of us endure alone, in silence. In doing so, she shares a remarkable story of inner strength and love for her family. Welcome to My Life should be required reading for all parents.”
“Laurie Hellmann’s book offers deep insight into the life of bringing up a child on the autism spectrum. Autism is a 24/7 thing; it doesn’t take a break. And while each autistic child is unique in their own way, they present enough similarities that we’re all ‘in this together.’”
“Welcome to My Life is an educational memoir about a family’s unconditional love and fierce advocacy for a child with autism, and demonstrates how these traits are, sadly, of absolute importance when navigating a medical system not yet fully aware of the special needs of these special children. I am honored to have met Skyler and his remarkable family. With this book, you will meet them too.”