Ben Haack’s first book draws from his own experiences living with autism to offer wisdom and encouragement for parents and families raising autistic children.

Reason for Hope: A Parent’s Playbook for Raising Happy and Resilient Kids — Hard-Won Wisdom from My Life on the Autism Spectrum, written by Gold Coast-based Special Olympics former athlete, mentor and Special Olympics ambassador Ben Haack, will be released by the Belonging Forum on April 2, 2026.

Reason for Hope offers comfort, perspective and practical guidance grounded in lived experience. Written as a series of personal letters, it’s a down-to-earth playbook for raising happy, resilient kids – without trying to force “normal.” Ben authored this book for parents and caregivers of autistic children, and for teachers, coaches, and extended family members who want to help an autistic child grow with confidence and belonging.

“It’s an honour to get to share what I’ve learned,” says Ben in the book. “The lessons in the chapters that follow will focus on how you can find balance, health, joy, and fulfillment—both for you and your child—in the years ahead. You don’t have to do all this work alone.”

Haack has spent years shifting how communities think about disability, inclusion, and human potential. In Reason for Hope, he recalls how his life was a nightmare before being diagnosed with autism at age 17. His school years were “horrible” for him and his family – “full of bullying and academic challenges and many other disappointments.”

Ben’s life began to pivot when his mother found two key places for him – the Gold Coast Recreation and Sport and Special Olympics. Today, serving as an athlete-leader for the Special Olympics, Ben has travelled the world advocating for people with disabilities and their rights to education, health, sport, and employment.

Through Special Olympics, Ben met and spoke with Nelson Mandela, along with the then prime minister of Australia, and CEOs of Coca Cola, Microsoft and Bank of America. Ben has also spoken to over 20,000 people at the International Lions Convention in Hamburg, Germany; played football at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in a celebrity game; and has debated sport with Nadia Comăneci and Bart Connor.

Kim Samuel, founder and chief architect of the Belonging Forum, is a close friend of Ben, meeting him at a Special Olympics World Games event a decade ago. She writes in the book that Ben has written Reason for Hope “to the mother or father standing in that doorway of uncertainty after a child’s diagnosis of autism.”

Kim says: “Ben Haack’s Reason for Hope offers families hard-won wisdom for how to navigate challenges and find real flourishing. What inspires me most about Ben is his compassion and generosity: he has taken the struggles of his own life and transformed them into a source of comfort, courage, and practical guidance for others.

This book is an antidote to the aloneness so many parents feel in the aftermath of a child’s diagnosis. Ben writes with honesty about pain, but also with deep faith in the possibility of joy, dignity, confidence, and contribution. His work gets to the essence of our mission at Belonging Forum: to affirm that belonging is our birthright, and that every child can thrive when families, schools, and communities create the conditions for their gifts to take root.”

Timothy Shriver, Ph. D, Chairman of the Board, Special Olympics International, said: “Reason for Hope is a compassionate, practical resource for families navigating life after an autism diagnosis. Ben Haack brings the kind of wisdom that can only come from lived experience—wisdom shaped through challenge, perseverance, and growth—and he shares it with warmth, humility, and good humor. From sports and school to friendships and the daily work of building resilience, Ben offers parents clear, actionable insight they can truly use. This book will be a powerful companion for families at a pivotal moment in their lives.”