Can anyone recommend a good book on AS?

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I've read 2 books so far about AS. I have to tell ya i didn't care for either of them.
The first was Pretenting to Be Normal by Liane Willey. Aside from have a touch of AS she has lived a pretty charmed life.

The next book i read was Solutions for Adults with Asperger Syndrome by Juanita Lovett. She is a NT therapist who treats AS patients. I found this book very offensive.
She portrays people with AS as not having enough sense to come in out of the rain.

She writes that people with AS don't understand other people have thoughts or minds of there own. That they could never understand human emotions and don't care about anything but there own little obsessions.

She has a lot of sympathy for people in the lives of aspies, who have to deal with AS in their midst as she puts it. I could have said empathy instead of sympathy, but she states we are incapable of that!

She also says in her book that judges and marriage counselors should be educated about AS so that when they hear an NT and AS version of events. They should discredit the Aspie version. So that they could not get custody of their children for an example.

http://www.tonyattwood.com.au/

has a lot of books recommended.

I like Tony Attwood's style - I'm currently reading "Aspergers, a guide for parents and professionals" (ISBN 1-85302-577-1). It would be nice if it were a little more from the adult aspie's point of view, but in a way it is.

It is highly likely that Tony himself has aspergers - he won't say one way or the other though he says it is likely - because he's the specialist - and he can't diagnose himself. And there isn't anyone else around that is a specialist enough to diagnose him - or he doesn't see getting an "official" diagnosis as helpful or important - not sure about that. I guess he goes to enough conferences to meet up with other specialists that he could if he wanted to.

I tend to interpret "don't think other people have thoughts and minds of their own" as an Aspie (usually child) expecting other people to think the same way and think the same things are important - after all, given the same set of facts and valid logical argument - everyone should come to the same conclusions on any given subject - right? Takes a long time to learn - "wrong". I think the first thing I learnt was "not everyone thinks like I do, not everyone understands what I do as easily as I do, and things they find easy - I might find difficult", and "people aren't very logical most of the time". And later I learnt to question "the same set of facts" - most people are operating from different sets of "facts".

A lot of the books are for the target audience of parents - because when aspies grow up, they may have learnt a pile of masking behaviours which makes their aspieness harder to recognise. The comment about not thinking about other people's minds and thoughts - is a diagnostic criteria for Aspergers - where the child (usually) will talk incessantly in great detail about something he or she is interested in, but only ask the adult about what she/he is interested in if it co-incides with their interests. So two train buffs together are happy, but a train buff and a fashion groupie are going to be bored with each other. Adult aspies, usually learn to ask social questions as part of conversations - like asking another about what interests them and what they like to do, but it doesn't come naturally, if they're very excited about something, they may forget completely. There are variations to this - not every aspie has every aspie characteristic in equal quantity from none to lots.

That's bloody disgusting. I've read a lot of stuff on AS but I've not come across attitudes like that before. What were her qualifications?

And wobbegong, I've never heard anyone say that Tony Attwood has AS. Where did you hear that from?

Did that book receive lots of complaints? I hope it did.
I've never heard an attitude like that towards Aspergers. Why should everything be 'normal'? That is just discrimination and prejudice.

I think it is disgusting and discriminating to say such a thing, she obviously has a sponge for a brain and just soaks up any rumours or myths surrounding AS , she describes us as not having the sense to come in from the rain? what an idiot , i certainly have the sense to come in , my dog has it for gods sake! did she ever think that maybe if a person has AS or not and they are out in the rain, that maybe they enjoy it? it is very possible , i have a friend who is NT and she loves it when it rains!

the other thing i was disgusted about is that people with AS shouldn't get custody of there children! i hope she doesn't have children , she would probably do a worse job that anyone with AS , as she would bring them up as narrow- minded and stupid as herself!

i am very angry right now!! !!



hollietheflower xx

Lots of other books and weblinks to explore on the OASIS website:

Books that I've found most practical: "The Highly Sensitive Person's Survival Guide: Essential Skills for Living Well in an Overstimulating World ", and "The Natural Medicine Guide to Autism".

Get a few books by Temple Grandin, she is phenomenal when it comes to helping people with ASD.

My favorite is "aquamarine blue 5", edited by Dawn Prince-Hughes (who has AS). It's a collection of essays by people with AS/Autism, talking about their school experiences. It's sort of aimed towards that high school/college/grad school crowd, but I think anyone (with AS or not!) would find it interesting.

That Juanita Lovett should be eaten by rabid weasels. I mean that in the nicest of ways of course.

I was way disappointed w/that book. Had such high hopes because "Adults" was in title-I'm AS dx'd adult, just what I've been waiting for. Then it was a lot of generic blather, just "pfffft", y'know ?
Haven't read Liane Holliday-Willey's stuff, so can't say how it strikes me yet. I quite liked Donna Williams' 4 memoirs, esp. the most recent two that cover her adulthood. "Like Color to the Blind" and "Everyday Heaven". She has greater difficulties than I do, but many of her statements resonated with me.
Temple Grandin's writing is good, though I'm much more emotional & interested in relationships w/humans than she seems to be. That's part of why I (personal, not critical reaction) am more interested in Donna Williams' story.
I've been married & it's tough to find any material that includes experience of my so-called demographic group. It's focussed on children, mostly boys. Astounding how few people (researchers, writers, fundraisers) investigate/portray/notice realities of adults with this label.

One book that I've found really useful is "Freaks, Geeks, and Asperger Syndrome" by Luke Jackson. Luke is a teenager with AS, and although the book is mainly written for other teenagers, I'm sure people of all ages with AS would find it useful. It has advice for coping with different situations, and also advice for NT families and teachers of people with AS.

That book by Juanita Lovett does sound horrible, I hope she gets a lot of bad criticism for that. How she can claim to be able to work with people with AS is beyond me, if her attitude towards us is like that. Still, hopefully you'll enjoy Luke Jackson's book if you get a chance to read it, it's very informative and quite uplifting too, as it really puts AS in a positive light, and Luke's writing style is very sweet and funny.

I got that book from Amazon.com and they ask if i would recommend it by giving it stars. I gave it 1 star which means I hated it! It also asks if you would like to write a review. I wrote that I found the book very unhelpful. And i just might sent it back for a refund too.

I am definitely going to read some of these other books that you folks recommended.
Thanks!

I've recently read one of Grandins books. Very honest. Found the whole reading experience rather helpful.

I'm still wondering about a lot of these people who claim to be such experts. Most of the reading I've done about Asperger's has been online, and the descriptions vary. Some cannot possibly be accurate. Are we such a small segment of the population that not enough research has been done? Can it be that some of these "experts" never met a typical Aspie? I wonder if the people with Aspergers they encountered had other issues besides Asperger's, perhaps resulting from years of having to deal with the NT world. I would think we are permitted, like the rest of the population, to have neuroses, phobias, post traumatic stress syndrome, etc. Talking to all of you, and people I know like us, I know we don't fit the limited, one dimensional description I often read. Also, from what reading I have done, It sounds as though Europe has a better understanding than the US.

You want book reccomendations? I'll give you book reccomendations, lol

Parent memoirs:
1. A Different Kind of Boy, Daniel Mont
Very readable, very interesting. The story of a family from Potomac, Maryland, and a nine year old boy who finishes second in a national math talent search but has trouble with the simplest of interactions with his classmates.
2. Elijah's Cup, Valerie Paradiz
One of my favorite books I've read on the subject. The author talks about autism not as a disability but as a different kind of personality; she delves very deeply into the autism culture and explores the question of what it means to be autistic.
3. The Boy Who Loved Windows, Patricia Stacey
Very readable book; there is more science in this book than most and that part is quite interesting.
4. Smiling at Shadows, Junee Waites
This one takes place in Australia, I believe, and is quite interesting for that viewpoint.
5. A Real Boy, Christina Adams
Another good one.
6. Raising Blaze, Debra Ginsberg
After reading this one I immediately went and looked to see if the author had written any other books; and even though they had nothing to do with AS, read them and loved them. I love her writing style. She tells a great story. This book is unique in that I don't believe it ever comes right out and mentions the word autism or pervasive development disorder; but you can tell quite easily that's what it is. The author prefers not to label her son and her attitude towards him is endearing and inspiring.
7. Unraveling the Mystery of Autism and other Pervasive Development Disorders, Karyn Seroussi
I read this book straight through on a particularly long cross country flight; it kept me interested for four hours! This book focuses very much on how diet impacts those on the spectrum. There is a lot of science and technical discussion used to explain different concepts, and I found these parts fascinating. The author also includes many gluten free, casein free recipes at the end of the book and provides many tips for parents who want to start their kids on such a diet. Very thought provoking and well written book.
??8. Eating an Artichoke: A Mother's Perspective on Asperger Syndrome , Echo Fling
I don't really remember anything about this book but I know I read it.
??9. A Slant of Sun: One Child's Courage, Beth Kephart - I don’t remember too much about this book, unfortunately! ?
?10. Finding Ben , Barbara LaSalle
Some might say this is a more realistic portrayal of the extreme amount of problems that can be present when trying to take care of an autistic son. This book is gritty and honest and doesn’t sugar coat anything.
??11. Let Me Hear Your Voice, Catherine Maurice
One of the very first books on autism/AS that I read, and I think one of the more well known ones. Focuses very much on ABA - applied behavior analysis - and how this family used this method to help their two children recover from autism.
?Books by people on the autistic spectrum: ??
12. Pretending to be Normal, Liane Willey Holliday
Probably my favorite book on the subject or one of my top two, anyway. An adult woman with AS who also has a daughter with AS talks about her life and about her daughter. I found myself underlining many passages in the book in agreement. Liane has become one of the more well known speakers with AS in the country today. ?
?13. Songs of the Gorilla Nation, Dawn Prince-Hughes
A different kind of book. I felt the book focused more on her relationships with the gorillas than her AS, and so didn’t find that book quite as endearing or useful as many others I have read. Not all will agree with me, though. ??
14. Thinking in Pictures, Temple Grandin
One of the most famous autism books out there; Temple Grandin might be the most well known autistic adult in the country today. She revolutionized how cattle are treated with her "squeeze" machine. Not one of my favorites, though. ?
?15. Nobody Nowhere, Donna Williams
All of Donna William's books are fantastic and a must read. Her books were the first books on autism I ever read. I enjoyed her second and third books the most. Donna is an Australian autistic woman who has written quite a bit about her life. ??
16. Somebody Somewhere, Donna Williams ??
17. Like Color to the Blind, Donna Williams??
18. Everyday Heaven, Donna Williams??
19. Life Behind Glass, Wendy Lawson
I don’t remember this book having a very big impact on me.

??Informational and Novels: ???
20. Succeeding with Autism, Judith H. Cohen
One of the best I've read. She follows and profiles an autistic boy named Mike. She talks in detail about his life from birth through college and his employment as a math teacher. She interviews extensively his peers, teachers, parents, siblings, doctors, Mike himself and anyone else who could give a perspective on him and his needs. Being able to read the perspective of all these different people is fascinating and you really get into his head. Those either on the spectrum or who know someone on the spectrum will find much to relate to. ??
21. The OASIS guide to Asperger's Syndrome, Barbara Kirby
From an informational standpoint, one of the best out there. ?
?22. Asperger Syndrome and Adolescence: Practical Solutions for School Success, Brenda Myles
Can't offer much of an opinion on this one as I just browsed through it, but seemed like a book that people who work with adolescents would be able to get something out of.
??23. Relationship Development Intervention, Steve Gutstein
I have heard many people who say that this therapy has worked wonderfully for them and their kids. Whether it really works or not, you have to figure out for yourself and your kids, but it’s always worth a try. ??24. Speed of Dark, Elizabeth Moon [novel] A wonderful, wonderful fictional book about a society in the future where all neurological disorders have been stamped out and the people of the world are in perfect health: except, of course, those who were born too late for these treatments, those few autistics that remain. When main character Lou and his friends are offered an experimental treatment that could reverse their autism, they are faced with a daunting question: would they still be themselves without their autism? The book has a wonderful way of showing us the autistic characters' strengths along with their weaknesses and showing us how we as a society benefit so much from their unique skills and ways of thinking. ?
?25. Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night, Mark Haddon [novel]
The writing style of this book was a bit too factual for me, but others have loved it. Very popular book that centers around the story of a boy and his dog and the adventures they have trying to track down his mother in London and other such things.

Not categorized:

26. Freaks, Geeks and Asperger’s Syndrome – Luke Jackson --- very good book for kids to understand more about AS [person w/ AS] [written by a 13 year old]

27. Beyond the Wall – Stephen Shore --- an adult with AS talks about his experiences.
[person w/ AS]

28. One Small Starfish, Anne Addison ---- every few pages there are tips for parents, extremely well done, good how to guide for parents of special needs kids [parent memoir]

29. Asperger Syndrome in the Family – Liane Holliday Willey ---- I take it back – Liane’s second book is now the best AS book I have ever read. Really goes into the experience of what it’s like to have AS and explains it very well, better than anything else I have read. [person w/ AS]

30. Maverick Mind, Cheri Florance --- fascinating account of how the author was able to use science and groundbreaking innovations in the field of psychology to “re-engineer” her son Whitney’s brain. [parent memoir]

31. Making Peace with Autism, Susan Senator
A very clearly written book about coming to terms with and figuring out how to best help and love her severely autistic son. This book is unique in that most parent memoirs seem to be written about much higher functioning kinds on the spectrum, and parents whose kids do not fall in that area will appreciate this one. The author has a website with a blog that she consistently updates, and it is a pleasure to be able to read the book, get acquainted with her family, and be able to continue to follow her family’s lives on her website. [parent memoir]

32. Send in the Idiots [person w/ AS]

33. Daniel Won't Talk [novel]

34. Running with Walker [parent memoir], Robert Hughes


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I've sort of become ... obsessed with reading books about autism, if you couldn't tell
Those are the autism related books Ive read in the past 2 yrs.
You definitely cant go wrong with donna williams tho

edit: formatting got messed up
ignore the ?? marks
sorry its hard to read, copy pasted it

hope this helps
Kate

I'd recommend "Asperger Syndrome and Long Term Relationships" by Ashley Stanford.

It's not just about relationships. It talks a lot about how Asperger's can present in adults.

It's written by an NT woman married to an AS man. It's aimed toward NTs who are trying to understand their AS partners, but as an aspie myself, I found it very interesting and informative. She really has a good understanding of the aspie way of thinking.