The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome
ISBN:9781843106692 read summary

This is the most comprehensive, complete, and helpful book that I have ever found about Asperger's syndrome. It's great for anyone who has Asperger's syndrome, has a child with Asperger's syndrome, has a friend with Asperger's syndrome, or just wants to know more about the disease. This book doesn't give depressing prognosises, and yet doesn't skip important facts. The Kindle edition for this book is in AZW1 format, so it has its own fonts. This is quite a long book, but with its active Table of Contents (TOC), it's extremely easy to navigate.

This is the BEST book about Asperger's Syndrome. I have ready many & this is by far the most informative. It really helps you understand why some reactions happen & it also makes you aware or notice that some reactions are symptoms of the syndrome. You just have a better appretiation of some of your child's quirks. I think it should be required reading for any person in education or with any daily contact with children.

I've known someone who may have been an Aspie but was also a cruel person. This book told me that is not an Aspie trait; people with Asperger's tend to be victims of others and not cruel towards them. They can be seen as cruel due to lack of social skills but when people are really hurtful there is something else going on. Having Aspie traits myself, see below, that was reassuring.

I don't think most Aspies are perceived as cruel or like narcissists. They may be seen as unusual or quiet b/c they know they sound odd and maybe they've learned to be quiet due to negative feedback in conversation. It does seem baffling to other people that this very bright person doesn't 'get' this stuff but - Tony Attwood describes this in his book.

I do think Asperger's has gone from being virtually unknown in the U.S. 30 years ago to being overdiagnosed now. At this point, every guy with an interest in science and mathematics who is in any way eccentric is potentially hearing that he has Asperger's. Women in those fields - maybe not so much b/c the stereotype is a guy. People really do not see sometimes that it is not just technical/mathematical/scientific skill combined with some eccentricities. There is also a genuine bewilderment about the 'rules' of other people and how to 'get' how others think.

This book shows life from the perspective of some people with Asperger's and provides ways of treatment.

Another issue that I see comes up is from some Aspies who say, we are good the way we are and don't need to be like the NTs (neurotypicals). I actually agree with this. Yet I support some kind of therapy or treatment anyway. The reason is that in my experience, Aspies can have a very high level of anxiety b/c they know they don't 'get' this stuff. The good kind of treatment is not about fixing or changing them. It is about lowering their anxiety level so that they will feel more comfortable in the world and with themselves and other people. Personally, I don't think treatment turns an Aspie into an NT, not if it is any good anyway. But it may help reduce social anxiety and help the person realize that maybe the NTs can understand them better.

I don't view myself as Aspie or non-Aspie. I have been influenced by both in different situations. Like red and blue combine to make purple, I feel I'm some combination that is not really either one. That sounds odd but it's where I feel I am. Not on the spectrum but not NT either. Influenced by both.

However I WAS diagnosed with Asperger's based on literally 5 minutes talking to a neurologist who saw that I was introverted, had trouble with social skills, and had some clumsiness and she immediately said I had it. My doctor was furious b/c it takes a lengthy period of observation with detailed questions to diagnose it. She told me I did not have it but had some of its traits, and that was different. My problem is not so much how to 'get' people b/c I tend to do that, but learning social skills and having a 'disorder of interpretation' where I see what people do but don't understand it. This is not the same as a thought disorder. It means not being able to process the reasons for or impact of other people's actions, or my own feelings, which has lowered my social skills. I'm working on this.

An excellent book. It is a well written and professional book which offers useful insights. I found it very helpful with the accounts of other peoples experiences and case studies and the explanations that accompanied these.
Highly recommended.

A clinical Psychologist recoimmended this book to me to help me get a grasp on Asperger's Syndrome, which my grandchild has been diagnosed recently as having. I found the book to answer questions that other sources failed to address. It is a handy reference if you do not wish to read it cover to cover, but I will read all of it. It distinguishes Asperger's from other forms of autism on the spectrum and is more empowering than other books that dwell on the more dysfunctional ranges of autism. It raises questions that still need to be addressed about categories and approaches to the diagnosis. It is easy reading and it is a great resource for someone who hears terms being used without any reference points. Lillian Beeson, Ph.D.