What Color is Monday?

June 3, 2013
Cariello's autistic son, Jack, sees days of the week as colors; fixates on shampoos, birthdays, cars, and calendars; and is animal phobic. Here, she grants readers intimate access to his unique mind; quirky, sometimes frustrating, behaviors; and his special personality. Cariello intuitively sensed "something was amiss with adorable little boy," specifically "language deficiency,...limited eye contact,...horrific outbursts", and his inability to seek comfort. She and her husband, Joe, were relieved to have a diagnosis, and moved quickly to obtain services. Cariello shares her family's more humorous and trying experiences with swimming and karate lessons, the YMCA, water parks, and a Disney cruise, all with five children, ages 3-9. She also discusses how she and Joe learned to cope with marital stress and her struggle to make therapists, teachers and the world see Jack "in all his autistic glory," not simply as "the child." Ironically, Cariello explains, "in my quest to help him reach his full potential, I'm actually reaching my own"; she reflects on her tenacity, and choosing to "embrace, not conquer" autism. Although a touching tribute to her family, readers seeking to expand their knowledge of autism would benefit from expanded appendices.