Anyone know any good books about ASD?

[JFTB1177]

I am looking for books about ASD that aren't depressing but at the same time honest and full of lots of info... anyone have any recommendations?

[Linda on the move]

Anything by Temple Grandin. She is on the spectrum (was non verbal as a child) and writes with clarity and hope. She has a PhD and has led a very interesting life. She has clear memories of how it felt to be a child with autism, and is open and honest about what it is like to be an adult on the spectrum.

Wonderful stuff.

[JFTB1177]

Originally Posted by Linda on the move 

Anything by Temple Grandin. She is on the spectrum (was non verbal as a child) and writes with clarity and hope. She has a PhD and has led a very interesting life. She has clear memories of how it felt to be a child with autism, and is open and honest about what it is like to be an adult on the spectrum.

Wonderful stuff.

Thank you!!!!!!!!!!

[Linda on the move]

I had a chance to look up stuff on amazon. This is my favorite Temple Grandin book:

http://www.amazon.com/Way-See-Revised-Expanded-2nd/dp/193527421X/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_3

There is a wonderful essay in it about how if there were no people on the spectrum, the whole computer age wouldn't have happened. She questions if it is better to be a person who likes to talk on a cell phone, or a person who can create and improve technology like cell phones. It's really good stuff. She's able to explain the way in which a person on the spectrum sees the world, and see how much better place the world is because there are people who see it that way and yet can interact and do something with how they see the world.

very powerful stuff.

[JFTB1177]

Thanks Linda! I went to the library tonight and got it out! :)

[RiverTam]

Originally Posted by JFTB1177 

I am looking for books about ASD that aren't depressing but at the same time honest and full of lots of info... anyone have any recommendations?

Tony Atwood's "The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome"

[RiverTam]

Also "Look Me in the Eyes."

It's a memoir by a guy who has ASD and grew up to design guitars for KISS and toys for Mattel. (I think it was Mattel. It might have been Hasbro.) 

http://www.amazon.com/Look-Me-Eye-Life-Aspergers/dp/0307395987

[joensally]

Ditto Look Me in the Eye, it's excellent.  There's also a biographical movie about Temple Grandin that's excellent, and she was very involved in its production.

Here's a list:

http://www.autism-resources.com/fictiongenres/autism.html

Another:

http://www.neurodiversity.com/books_fiction.html

(ok, I'm a big Austen fan and the one purporting that she was describing individiduals with an ASD in Pride and Prejudice is now on my reading list - wild!)

Another:

http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6642883.html

House Rules by Jodi Picoult is ok.

Finally, IIRC from your other thread, your DH is struggling with this as well.  Why not watch some Big Bang Theory?  Sheldon has an ASD (never acknowledged by producers, but come on).  He is productively employed, lives away from home, and through the series has developed a group of friends.  You can actually see his development through the series, I think because his group of friends actually provide a form of therapy (encourage him past his comfort zone, social practice, explicit social instruction).  All of the characters on there are quirky and provide a great example of the range of neurodiversity.

[Emmeline II]

Originally Posted by joensally 
Why not watch some Big Bang Theory?  Sheldon has an ASD (never acknowledged by producers, but come on).  He is productively employed, lives away from home, and through the series has developed a group of friends.  You can actually see his development through the series, I think because his group of friends actually provide a form of therapy (encourage him past his comfort zone, social practice, explicit social instruction).  All of the characters on there are quirky and provide a great example of the range of neurodiversity.

The actor has said that he plays Sheldon as if he has Asperger's, though he wasn't given that direction.

Books:

I haven't read this book, but I'm reading the author's book Genius! and have ordered Survival Strategies for Parenting Your ADD Child.

The Asperger Plus Child: How to Identify and Help Children with Asperger Syndrome and Seven Common Co-Existing Condition...

[Piglet68]

My top two books were Tony Attwoods' book (mentioned above) and the Oasis Guide to Asperger's Syndrome.

The first book is more of a primer on AS, full of the latest information, and you can tell Dr. Attwood is really up about AS. It's not a negative or depressing book (although I found the stuff related to schooling to be really depressing but we're homeschoolers so maybe I was more shocked by that than others would be).

The second book is written to YOU, the parent. It talks about the emotional ride, the different types of therapies, etc from the perspective of parents. I found this book really supporting and encouraging.

[treehugger86]

o, so many books come to mind. I definitely agreed on Temple Grandin. She was my first thought as a starting point. Donna Williams is another well-known author on the spectrum.

There are several memoirs in my collection. These can be difficult to read. Most are honest, but hopeful. Portia Iversen's 'Strange Son' is a good read. There are others too. I may return to edit this post.

Finally, 'Children with Starving Brains' by Jaquelyn McCandless is a biomedical guide to the treatment of ASD.

[Linda on the move]

Originally Posted by Piglet68 
 It's not a negative or depressing book (although I found the stuff related to schooling to be really depressing but we're homeschoolers so maybe I was more shocked by that than others would be).

mildly off topic --- my DD didn't thrive with homeschooling, which ended up being extremely isolating for her in part because of her autism. She also wasn't a good fit for public school, for a variety of reasons (though I send love and light to her former principal, teachers, social worker, school nurse and school secretary every time they cross my mind, because they tried so hard with her and I always knew they deeply cared, they just couldn't make the situation work for her). She now attends an amazing alternative school where she is happy and blossoming.

I mention this in this thread because I know that school is one of the many issues that can be depressing and overwhelming in raising a kid on the spectrum, and I wanted to share that we eventually found a right place for her. Schools do exist that can reach our kids. The world is amazingly full of people who will care about our kids and help them. Always keep hope -- good things happen.

[lchollick1958]

Impossible Cure by Amy Lansky!   Great book and very informative on how to heal your child.

[juliajuliah]

Gut and Psychology Syndrome by Dr Natasha Campbell McBride, www.gaps.me, a doctor who healed her own autistic son with this diet.

[webmaker]

books not mentioned yet -

If you want a book that will even make you laugh sometimes read Kim Stagliano's I'm No Mother Theresa about raising 3 girls with autism.

A good book for Dad's is Rodney Pete's Not My Son, it has the family story and then more details in the second half about autism

Karyn Seroussi's Unraveling the Mystery of Pervasive Developmental Disorders is a great read about diet - I couldn't put it down

Ken Bock's Healing the New Childhood Epidemics has some great family stories, but some are very depressing

There are also a lot of websites with great content

www.tacanow.org has great recovery videos and a ton of content, you can also get all that content in a book if you go to a Talk About Curing Autism meeting

www.autismone.org and www.autism.com have a lot of videos from their conferences and other content

[Ettina]

The OASIS Guide to Asperger Syndrome is one I'd recommend (especially if you have a higher functioning child). Also Through the Eyes of Aliens, which is written by a severely autistic woman.

As an autistic person myself, I'd say remember that autism is not the end of the world. It's possible to live a happy and productive life as an autistic person, you just have to do things a bit differently. A lot of people will give you doom and gloom predictions - most of them are just trying to sell you something, or repeating what they've heard from others. They'll also try to convince you that you can cure autism by doing what they tell you. There is no cure for autism, but on the other hand, you don't have to cure it to give your child a good life.

[JFTB1177]

Originally Posted by Ettina 

The OASIS Guide to Asperger Syndrome is one I'd recommend (especially if you have a higher functioning child). Also Through the Eyes of Aliens, which is written by a severely autistic woman.

As an autistic person myself, I'd say remember that autism is not the end of the world. It's possible to live a happy and productive life as an autistic person, you just have to do things a bit differently. A lot of people will give you doom and gloom predictions - most of them are just trying to sell you something, or repeating what they've heard from others. They'll also try to convince you that you can cure autism by doing what they tell you. There is no cure for autism, but on the other hand, you don't have to cure it to give your child a good life.

Thank you so much for this

[naturemomma13]

agreed. that book is so helpfully informative and optimistic.
 

Originally Posted by RiverTam 

Tony Atwood's "The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome"