Fighting for Tony Author: Mary Callahan
	Book Information Publisher: Simon & Schuster Book Type: Paperback Rating: 1 ISBN-13: 9780671632656 - ISBN-10: 0671632655 Publication Date: 9/1987 Book Reviews

When Callahan's son Tony was diagnosed as autistic at age two, she struggled to understand the conditionabout which little is knownand worked tirelessly to help him improve. Her story takes us through Tony's early years, which included many bouts of screaming for nine hours at a time, head-banging, staring and generally nonresponsive behavior. This account about raising a difficult handicapped child stands out because of its honesty in discussing often ugly feelings. Callahan and her husband experienced extreme guilt, anger and shame, and for one harrowing moment they contemplated killing the boy. By age five, Tony began leading a normal life, and Callahan, a registered nurse, came to believe that a cerebral allergy to cow's milk may have caused Tony's autistic behavior and may account for autism in others. First serial to Ladies' Home Journal.