3500: An Autistic Boy's Ten-Year Romance with Snow White

"3500" was a wonderful read. The author was able to share honestly the hardships of raising a severely autistic child without overdone pathos. His frankness about the failure of his first marriage, his ownership of it and the successful co-parenting they were able to achieve made you keep turning the pages. I was so happy when the author ultimately found true love just like Snow White! Like other readers, I read this within 24 hours because the book drew me in. I left with a sense of appreciation for parents with autistic children, appreciation for the seemingly small things in life, as well as a strong desire to visit the Magic Kingdom! This would be a great book to read during the upcoming summer months on the beach or on the go while you travel.

The tale of Ben and his love affair with Snow White is a beautiful one. Yet, even more so is the love and dedication of his parents who made it all possible. 3500 is a heartfelt story about parenthood, autism, Disney and the magic that can be found when all three are thrown in the mix together. The book is well written and a quick read. You won't put it down. Highly recommended.

This is a book about a young boy, Benjamin, who has autism and his love for the Disney character Snow White. Benjamin has a pretty bad case of autism. He only eats French fries, he still wears diapers at the age of 12, and he has very limited vocabulary. He has a infectious smile. Benjamin always has his music via a headset and CD and of course, the music he listens to is Disney songs. His parents are divorced but this does not stop them from taking Ben on vacation in Florida to visit Disney. The family lives in Seattle, Washington. They fly to Florida so that Ben can visit the Disney characters he knows so well from the music he constantly listens to and the movies he watches. Autistic kids are sensitive to lots of stimulus. Noise and crowds are part of the things that sometimes bother people with autism. Ben is no exception. As they visit Disney, Ben has some minor issues with the crowds and the noise level. He falls in love with a Snow White ride and would ride it all the time had his parents insisted that he try something new. Ben ends up riding this same ride for years and eventually clocks in 3500 times before the ride is closed forever. Ben loves Disney so the family makes the decision to uproot their family from Washington and move to Florida so that Ben can enjoy Disney. Disney was great to help celebrate Ben's milestone rides with the family. Disney even gets Snow White to talk to Ben during several events and Ben just gushes with enthusiasm for Snow White.I really liked this book. Mr. Miles tells about his son in an honest way. It is a heartwarming story.

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As the fellow parent of an autistic child, I found the reflections in this brief memoir almost eerily familiar. The stages of development of a child on "the spectrum" are laid out here in a gentle and amusing manner, tied together nicely by the family's obvious fondness for the magic of Walt Disney World. Our child, too, has met some major milestones in the Magic Kingdom and this family's story reflects ours so closely that reading these pages brought back memories of our own that we had nearly forgotten. It's a sweet and nostalgic look at a growing child's innocent affections and pressing needs.

That said, for those without an autistic child or relative, and especially for those with no more than a passing interest in the cultural phenomenon of Disney, this story may lack the depth or narrative to maintain interest. It's an easy read, but one likely with little lasting substance, a sugary drink that greets the tongue kindly but lacks the grit to provide lasting sustenance.

I am so glad I bought and read this book (thanks to Cory Doctorow mentioning it in Boing Boing). It is two steps forward and one step back across many pages for this father and his autistic son. But forward they go in the hopes that dad can, one day, have a conversation with his son to find out what he's been thinking all these years. I have a child with an autism spectrum disorder; that's not as severe as the more severe autism I believe this boy was diagnosed with, but I found myself relating on every page. We have every issue they did -- it's a matter of degree. I'm cheering them on, as you will in this very readable and inspiring book.

This book is a raw and honest read where the feat of riding Snow White's Scary Adventures literally thousands of times is only half the story!

I first encountered Mr. Miles' blog when the Internet community spread this amazing, yet tearjerking tale that came from the closing of the longtime ride at the Magic Kingdom. Although the details of his son Ben's last night with his favorite ride are plenty heartwarming, I was particularly touched by the relationship between Ben and his family. As the sister of a young man with autism about the same age as Ben, I've considered ourselves lucky to have such involved and dedicated parents, and I knew I could count Ben as being in our boat.

Upon reading "3500" I was happy to find that Mr. Miles also chronicles both the challenges and rewards he and his family face throughout his son's childhood. It's a truthful, very-few-holds-barred account of raising a child with autism with plenty of humorous anecdotes. I was able to relate to many aspects of life with Ben based on life with my brother, including an obsession with a specific Walt Disney World commercial on a VHS tape of "The Lion King."

If you love happy endings and even happier new beginnings, read this book! I lent my copy to my parents, so they could read it on the plane during their annual trip with my brother to WDW this week. I have the feeling I'll have to do what another reviewer wrote: buy one copy to own and one to lend, because that copy may never make it back into my hands again!

I had the pleasure of working with Ron for a very brief time in Seattle. But that in no way influenced how much I enjoyed this book. I began reading this on a plane and was so glad to have the uninterupted time. I smiled, got choked up, and was so very inspired by the special story of Ben and his adoration for all things Snow White. Told without a touch of schmaltzey saccharine, Ben's family and Walt Disney World, recognized the connection that Ben had to this medium and seized it. Through all of their kindnesses, Ben has grown to be the still perplexing but far happier and capable young man he is today. Thank you Ron for being the truly loving Father that you are to him.

Ron tells the story of Ben’s initial diagnosis of autism, and the struggle it was to parent this mostly nonverbal child. One of the few things that Ben loved and concentrated on was his Disney movies, which prompted Ron and Ben’s Mom, Sara, to take Ben to Disney World. What happened on that trip was truly magical, and prompted Ron and Sara to move both of their households to Florida, where Disney World became a weekly occupational therapy session for Ben. They watched him come alive and begin to learn verbal and life skills that most of us take for granted.

The story of Ben’s love affair with the park, and with the Snow White’s Scary Adventures ride in particular, is in turns poignant and hilarious. Ron writes honestly of the challenges – and pure joys – of parenting an autistic child, and I was fully engaged in the story. The last two chapters and the epilogue were read with many tears and smiles, and I believe Ron has much to be proud of in his book.

I can't recommend this book enough. In the age where "if it bleeds, it leads", this is a breath of fresh air. A divorced couple who AGREE on the care of their son, mutually making sacrifices for his well being - and it is a TRUE story! And don't forget the mega-corporation that is Disney, and how their response helped to make this a positive experience every day for this autistic lad. Ron Miles has a great style, simple and honest. His love for his son is obvious on every page. All the profits from this book go into a trust fund for Ben's continued maintenance, so I thing everyone should buy two - one to keep and one to give away. You won't regret it.

I just finished a book about one of the worst mothers in the world and the awful effect she had on her sons.
How refreshing to read in this book of two amazing parents who love and do so much for their autistic son.
I commend the whole family for their love and support. Your Disney bill must be out of sight.