When Dr James Best sold the family home to finance a trip to Africa, he hoped it would have far-reaching and life-changing results for his 14 year old son Sam, who had autism. A loveable young man who knew a lot about the things that interested him but couldn't make his way to the corner shop, Sam's future was limited.
James knew that Sam was the ideal age to make the journey far out of his comfort zone in which he would have to take on new and scary challenges and learn to navigate the unexpected - and that the shock of all of those new experiences would change the neuroplasticity of Sam's brain and enable him to achieve what he hadn't been able to in a familiar environment.
Their time in Africa was entertaining, nerve-wracking and hugely challenging, but the results for Sam were stunning and tests proved the experiment was successful. Sam learned a huge amount and has returned far more ready and able to take on the world.
A moving and inspiring true story that will give hope to many families dealing with autism.
