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Buncrana mum writes autism memoir
26.02.09
‘A World of our Own’
out next week
by Damian Dowds, Inishowen
Independent
AILEEN McCallan, a Buncrana-based mother whose ten
year-old son Cian attends the special needs unit at
Scoil Íosagáin, will launch her first book, ‘A World
of our Own’ in Buncrana Library on Thursday 12
March. Published by the Poolbeg Press, the book is a
searingly honest account about a family affected by
autism. It’s about a hundred small kindnesses from
friends, family and strangers in contrast to the
often cold indifference from the health and social
services. It’s about a mother’s search for treatment
that will help her son and the progress he has made,
despite being written off many times.
The seed for the book was planted when Aileen joined
a writing group in her native Tyrone four years ago,
and having first floated the idea with publishers
Poolbeg of writing a fictionalised account, she
decided to bare her soul and tell it as it was. |
Writing about the
subject was a difficult experience, she says.
“Reliving that time was very emotional and looking
back on it made me angry. It brought back to me who
desperate and low I was, and how so many families
have to go through the same thing every day.”
“But it was therapeutic to write it. It’s out of me
now. Even though the story isn’t over, I think I can
have a new beginning.”
“Things have improved for Cian and our family, but
while this book has been written the story hasn’t
ended,” she says. “Our voice still isn’t heard and
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that be still aren’t
listening. Scoil Íosagáin recently lost five special
needs assistants and the autism classes have been
affected.”
Having taught him at home using the Applied
Behavioural Analysis (ABA) technique, she had
tremendous difficulty in finding a school in which
to educate him. She heard about Scoil Íosagáin and
having checked it out, moved lock stock and barrel
from Tyrone to Buncrana so that Cian could attend.
Having slaved over the manuscript throughout the
summer of 2008, this first time author now can only
watch as the published book takes on a life of its
own. She has hopes for what it might achieve, not in
terms of sales or fame, but in changing attitudes.
“Over everything else, I hope that the powers that
be will listen and try to get to know autism,” she
says. “The book explains the stresses that autism
puts on parents and how desperate they are for
support – some parents get no respite and can’t even
leave the house to go to the shop because they can’t
take their autistic child with them. I hope that the
authorities read it and realise how they’ve failed
our children and come to recognise that there are
therapies and interventions that can help. Cian is
proof of that.”
“A World of our Own” will be published on 2 March
and available locally from, among other places,
Mac’s Bookshop in Buncrana and Farren’s Newsagents
in Moville. The book will be officially launched in
Buncrana Library on 12 March from 7pm, while Boyzone
star Keith Duffy, who has done sterling work for
autism charities, will attend a book signing in
Eason’s, Letterkenny at the end of March.
Proceeds from the book will go into a trust fund for
Cian. |
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