THE SPARK by Kristine Barnett

Jacob is a remarkable young man. He has a unique gift to share but his mother has also been a gift to him. Jacob's mother Kristine is the driving force behind his transformation from a child diagnosed with severe autism to a math and science prodigy at age 13. How did Kristine go from raising a child who experts deemed unreachable to celebrating and honing the skills of her son who is now considered a genius with an IQ higher than Einstein's?

Kristine Barnett's memoir THE SPARK shares her story of never giving in and never giving up. THE SPARK is a true testament to a mother's love — drawing upon intuition, fulfilling a commitment, and nurturing her child — despite and maybe even to spite the skeptics. 

As the mother to a young man on the autism spectrum I can relate to Kristine's views and recognize the tactics she used to reach her son by "sparking" his interests and fostering an environment of learning. I went so far as to homeschool my son for five years out of frustration with the programs available in the school system. One size does not fit all when it comes to education. Sometimes it takes a parent or parents acting as advocates on their child's behalf to tailor the teaching to reach their child's potential. If you are a parent, a teacher, or a caregiver to a special needs child you really must read this inspiring memoir. I hope you will find this story to be a source of hope and help you harness your child's spark! Check out the video below and enter our draw for a copy of THE SPARK and learn about a special Twitter chat to be held on May 15th.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kristine Barnett is the mother of Jacob Barnett and his 3 younger siblings. She runs a daycare that includes both typical and special-needs children. She is also the founder of MyJacobsPlace, a nonprofit organization designed to help children with autism, as well as an award-winning sports league for autistic children.