Books about Aspergers

Women from Another Planet

This book, edited by Jean Miller, is an anthology by women with Aspergers, telling their stories.  Why is it different to be a woman with Aspergers? From my random reading on this topic, a couple of items.  One: for girls to dress nerdily is less forgivable than a for, say, a boy addicted to white socks. Two: girls are better accomodators, or blenders: they are good at mimicking the very social cues that they don't quite follow. 





Girls Growing Up on the Austism Spectrum: What Parents and Professionals Should Know About the Pre-teen and Teenage Years.

By Shana Nichols, this is a manual for parents and caretakers of pre-teen to adolescent girls on the autism spectrum.  Amazon gave it 5 stars. Although I couldn't find other "legitimate" reviews online, I found the book on eBrary, and it did seem to address the specific issues a young woman with aspergers might face: peer relations, sex education, necessary social mores, the world of changing emotions. The long list of references were "authoritative."





The Complete Guide to Aspergers, by Tony Attwood

Dr. Attwood is considered a leading light in treating people with Aspergers, with over 25 years experience as a clinical psychologist in this field. This book has  received high praise from peers and peer-reviewed journals. From the book: "I usually say to the child, "Congratulations, you have Asperger's syndrome", and explain that this means he or she is not mad, bad or defective, but has a different way of thinking."  One reviewer, another psychologist, state the book "...doesn't leave my side in my work with clients with Asperger Syndrome." Speech and Language Therapy in Practice.




Look Me In The Eye, by John Elder Robison

This is a memoir about living with Aspergers, by the brother of Augusten Burroughs, (Running with Scissors). No - didn't read it - but it got very favorable reviews from Booklist and Publishers Weekly. Interesting that one Amazon reviewer, Elizabeth Littlepage, thought that Robison made a bit light of the challenges of Aspergers:

A warning about this book: Asperger's Syndrome is not quite what the author makes it out to be. If you were to only learn about the diagnosis from this memoir, here is what you might expect: "symptoms" that include amazingly innovative genius and a life of non-stop social and financial success.

The Other Half of Asperger Syndrome: A guide to an Intimate Relationship with a Partner who has Asperger Syndrome, by Maxine C. Ashton

I've included this book, as it addresses the non-childhood issue of adults with Aspergers in relationships.  Dr. Tony Attwood, mentioned above for his ....Guide.... gives it a thumbs up. A couple of topics include 'sex' and 'AS can't be blamed for everything.'









About a Boy, by Nick Hornby

The only fiction included here, it's a novel about a somewhat skeevy trustifarian, who, while chasing after meaningless relationships with women, inadvertantly befriends a boy with Aspergers.  The friendship allows the adult to transform into 'a real boy' - to borrow from Pinnoccio.

mar