An in-depth examination of life with a child with a severe disability from a parental, psychological and spiritual perspective.

Literary fiction  |  English sample translation available

This book by husband and wife Petr and Petra Třešňák tells the story of bringing up a daughter with autism combined with intellectual disability and severe behavioural issues. It is not so much an account of autism as the search for balance in an extremely challenging situation and coming to terms with the birth of a disabled child. Fourteen-year-old Dorotka’s parents reflect in a readable way on the inner transformation they have undergone over years of caring for her around the clock, and capture the magical moments of life with an atypical child as well as the alarming scenes of agitation and self-harm. The text, which blends the perspective of the father and the mother, alternates tales of everyday situations with psychological and spiritual reflections.

About the authors:

Petr Třešňák (1976) is a journalist working for Respekt magazine. He focuses mainly on health and social issues. Before then he worked for environmental NGOs. His article The Big Clean-up of the Homeless was awarded third prize in the European Year 2010 Journalist Award. In 2013 he was awarded the EU Health Prize for Journalists for Adventures in Ward 14, his report on psychiatric treatment. He is a two-time recipient of the Czech Journalist Prize and in 2014 he was awarded the Czech Psychiatric Association Journalist Prize for an article on children with autism. Caring for his daughter, Dorota, who suffers from a severe form of autism, led him to founding the society Děti úplňku (Children of the Full Moon) and the idea of filming the eponymous documentary film.

Petra Třešňáková is a psychotherapist; the vice-chair of an association leading the Homesharing pilot project; and she was behind the idea for the film Děti úplňku (Children of the Full Moon). She is also concerned about the quality of social services and therapy for people with ASD. She is currently involved in a pilot project for respite foster care, which links families who have children with ASD with ordinary families, offering them relief during difficult times. She specializes in individual psychotherapy, crisis intervention and counselling. She works with spiritual themes, dreams, the integration of extraordinary experiences and holistic approaches to life. She has dedicated the fifteen years of her working life to finding meaning and substance in each individual’s story.