The Children of Raquette Lake

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Synopsis
The Children of Raquette Lake: One Summer That Helped Change the Course of Treatment for Autism is an inspiring account of author Mira Rothenberg's experience with eleven autistic and schizophrenic children during the summer of 1958. In order to avoid the regression that often occurred during the summer months, Rothenberg, a trained psychologist, and her colleagues Zev Spanier and Tev Goldsman, decided to bring their young patients to a camp in Raquette Lake, located in the Adirondack region of Northern New York.As Rothenberg explains, this was a time when severely disturbed children were considered untreatable and often sent to live out their lives in institutions where their needs were neglected and ignored. Many of Rothenberg's patients exhibited signs of abuse and emotional trauma. On the island, Rothenberg, Spanier, and Goldsman discovered that by applying what was then an unconventional treatment of loving care and tolerance, their young patients improved and were able to heal many of the emotional and physical issues associated with their conditions. Written like a narrative journal that follows the children's progress from week to week, The Children of Raquette Lake is interwoven with personal histories and fascinating case stories that demonstrate the healing power of the human heart. The book also provides a valuable list of resources for therapists and parents of autistic children.From the Trade Paperback edition.
Copyright:
2012

Book Details

Book Quality:
Publisher Quality
ISBN-13:
9781583945056
Related ISBNs:
9781583944677
Publisher:
North Atlantic Books
Date of Addition:
Copyrighted By:
Mira Rothenberg
Adult content:
No
Language:
English
Has Image Descriptions:
No
Categories:
Nonfiction, Health, Mind and Body, Psychology
Submitted By:
Bookshare Staff
Usage Restrictions:
This is a copyrighted book.

Reviews

4 out of 5

By on

An interesting glimpse into the mind blowing world of severe childhood mental illness. A 90-year-old psychologist writes about her pioneering work establishing a summer camp for autistic and schizophrenic children in 1958. I was appalled by some of the conditions (kids running naked, teachers bathing with students) and that the author herself was so broken emotionally. But the kids did improve so they got something right. Most fascinating are the kids stories. They are very similar to modern documentaries on hard-to-treat kids. It sure is a rough life.