Book Review: Too Wise To Be Wrong, Too Good To Be Cruel by Cathy Steere – Coping With Autism

Years ago, a lady from my church invited me to a seminar given by the neurodevelopmental specialist she was working with to help her son, Drew. She had been looking for a way to further my education with the goal of having better solutions for families who came to me with learning disabilities. With my Master’s Degree in Special Education, I worked with homeschooling families, but found that the tools I had learned with that Master’s degree were primarily accommodating learning challenges rather than eliminating them. I wanted to help more, so I started looking for a way to help families in a meaningful way. This timely invitation led me to the neurodevelopmental approach.

That lady was Cathy Steere, who shared the story of her family’s journey with autism. When you read her book, Too wise to be wrong, too good to be cruelyou will know why I have been studying and applying the neurodevelopmental approach in my work ever since.

Surprisingly, David and Cathy Steere did not receive an autism diagnosis until Drew was almost four years old. They felt they had wasted a lot of time, but the beauty of their story is that they had been faithfully following God’s Word in training Drew. They had focused on building his character and disciplining him according to God’s direction in his Word. All of that made the individualized neurodevelopmental plans that his neurodevelopmental specialist, Cyndi Ringoen, eventually wrote for Drew much more efficient. Parents often have to start controlling behavior before they can make any progress. Not knowing they were dealing with autism, but knowing what the Bible teaches about the nature of man and the nature of God, they proceeded with God’s plan for Drew and later his second child, Elliot.

Whether or not there are learning or behavioral problems, any parent will find encouragement in reading this story. For those facing any type of challenge, you will find comfort in knowing that God has given parents direction in the form of principles. God will guide parents to professionals who can accompany them to give them encouragement and tools to work with their child to meet their needs. By reading this book, he will learn how the neurodevelopmentalist looks for missing pieces in development and teaches parents how to do activities that stimulate the brain in a way that encourages that development.

Personally, I cry with the Steers every time I read Cathy’s book. Some are tears of pain for the difficult times they experienced. Others are tears of joy as Cathy wrote about the first time Drew ran to her for comfort and gave her her first awkward hug. Although often taken for granted, that simple action in a child with a condition like Drew’s is a developmental milestone. I consider it a privilege to work with families like Drew’s because of these parents’ perseverance in researching and following through on whatever is needed for their children.