The Roundtable

A mother's memoir of Autism and finding joy

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When Kate Swenson’s son Cooper was diagnosed with severe, nonverbal autism, her world stopped. She had always dreamed of having the perfect family life — watching her boy play at baseball games, walking him down the aisle. She hadn’t signed up for life as a mother raising a child with a disability.

At first, Kate experienced the grief of broken dreams. Then she felt the frustration and exhaustion that comes with having to fight for your child in a world that is stacked against them. But through hard work, resilience and personal growth, she would come to learn that Cooper wasn’t the one who needed to change. She was. And it was this transformation that led Kate to acceptance — and ultimately joy. Because of Cooper, and autism, she became the person and the mother she was truly meant to be. Now Kate offers comfort and connection to other parents through her blog and Facebook community, Finding Cooper’s Voice.

In "Forever Boy," she shares her inspiring journey through autism with honesty and compassion, offering solace and hope to others on this path and illuminating the strength and unconditional love of mothers.

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Joe talks to people on the radio for a living. In addition to countless impressive human "gets" - he has talked to a lot of Muppets. Joe grew up in Philadelphia, has been on the area airwaves for more than 25 years and currently lives in Washington County, NY with his wife, Kelly, and their dog, Brady. And yes, he reads every single book.