Elsie Rogers’ book, Autistic Leaping over Walls While Living with Autism, tells her journey of raising her autistic son to adulthood and gives effective tools of support for anyone dealing with autism.

Twenty-five years ago, Elsie Rogers knew next to nothing about autism, let alone the impact the disorder would have on her life. In her recently published book, Autistic Leaping over Walls While Living with Autism, the businesswoman and mum of two, tells the story of the many obstacles and learning points of raising her older son Joshua and how she strived to ensure he could have the best possible future through her research and continuous investment in him.

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Joshua is autistic. According to the NHS, having an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) means your brain works in a different way from other people. It is not an illness. Fighting this stigma is something that Rogers references in her book. She discusses the complex relationship that Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups have with disability. She writes about her experiences of meeting parents who were misinformed about disability or whose children had ASD but they wilfully ignored the signs. She mentions how some parents refused to get a statement of Special Educational Needs for their child due to the stigma; a tragedy as the statement would have given those children the support they needed to thrive in school. Their reason? They didn’t wasn’t to admit to the disability in their child as it would be viewed as a shameful thing. Rather, they viewed it as ‘God’s Will’ and refused to act.

…a tragedy as the statement would have given those children the support they needed to thrive in school.

A key feature of the book is Rogers’ determination to ensure Joshua grew up with the skills to navigate the world as independently as possible. One of the ways she did this was by moving around his toys that had been lined up. Through these activities, she wanted to teach him that he wouldn’t always be able to control the things that happen to him.

A mum and her two grown up sons - Autism — Book cover: Autistic Leaping over Walls While Living with Autism

Today, Joshua is thriving and mostly independent. He is a true credit to Rogers who also had the responsibility of raising Joshua’s now 20-year old younger brother. She writes about how she was determined to reduce any negative impacts of raising an autistic child to her younger son.

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It is evident that Rogers has leapt over many walls for her children and continues to be a strong advocate for their independence. This book is for those who want practical tools and guidance on supporting an autistic child. It is a clear blueprint for how, by leaping over walls and other obstacles, you are helping your autistic child to thrive.