book on autism spectrum disorder?

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hi all,
if you where to buy a book on autism spectrum disorder what would you choose?

1. book about (autism spectrum disorder)
2. book that describe what it is like for somebody with Autism!

what would you choose i now what would choose i think

take care

I'd choose to peruse Wrong Planet posts instead. I think there's more to be learned here in terms of facts and in terms of understanding what the condition is like subjectively than you'll find in any book.

Right now I would choose #2 (a book about the experience of someone with autism). I am newly diagnosed and so the fact that there are others out there like me, who have similar experiences with the world and a similar way of processing information is not only still surprising but also thrilling. I am starting to think more and more about the why and how of autism, however. If this turns into a full-on obsession with the topic, I might end up steering more toward option #1.

I agree with the poster above, though, that reading posts on this website can be invaluable for comparing experiences. After all, you can just put your view out there and see how you compare. Or, if you want both factual information (option 1) together with personal experience (option 2), you could read one of Temple Grandin's books on autism. In her work, I recognize much of myself and at the same time am learning a great deal about how the autistic brain works.

I would choose the book on what it is like for someone with autism spectrum disorder (preferably written by someone who is not totally bitter about everything).

I have books about the disorder itself (to educate myself about the condition after my son was diagnosed).

Now, I would want to read some stories by people who grew up with autism and how they cope and their needs and feelings about things.

However, if I were purchasing a book for someone else (especially a parent who has a newly diagnosed child) I would go with a well written, fact based book about autism itself.

It's might be a hard read, but I highly recommend "Autism and Asperger's Syndrome" by Uta Frith. That book contains the first ever English translation of Asperger's paper. Unless you can read German, in which case I recommend both Uta Frith, and Asperger's original paper if you can find it. I think it's always best to get as close to the source as possible. I've learned more from that book in the last couple of weeks than I've learned in the past ten years. It has helped to debunk a lot of misconceptions that are out there. It's around $40 to $50 though, but you can probably find cheaper copies. I think it's well worth the full price. It is, hands down, the best book out there.

You can learn a lot from forums like this, but a lot of it will invariably be complete nonsense. The only way I've found to separate the crap from the genuine on forums is to read as much as possible from the sources themselves. The originators of the DX. Then it's much easier to tell who's just blowing hot air, and who really knows what they're talking about.