Forward and Acknowledgments Summary and Analysis

The Forward, written by Bernard Rimland, PhD, is a heartfelt supportive argument for the use of behavioral modification. Rimland was a mentor to Catherine throughout the novel, and praises her work with her own children, as well as praises her for her insights. Additionally, Rimland promotes all forms of therapy for autistic children, noting the need to try various forms to seek improvement. Rimland then explains behavior modification and summarizes his work in the field. He points out that early behavioral modification has been shown to help over fifty percent of autistic children. He concludes that while many still see this therapy as cruel, those same individuals do not understand modern techniques. In the Acknowledgment section, Catherine thanks many who helped her succeed in helping her children recover from autism. She thanks her husband, Marc, as well...