Finding Asperger Syndrome In The Family Second Edition , livre ebook

Straightforward Publishing - Clare Lawrence

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60 pages

English

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This bestselling book in the Emerald Series is a comprehensive and accessible guide to Autism, Asperger syndrome and their effects on children and family. Not everyone facing the autism spectrum for the first time is ready for complicated or hard to digest material. This book is invaluable in that it takes the form of providing answers to the key questions which are most often raised, and is aimed at the absolute beginner in this field. It will prove invaluable to all those who wish to understand more about this complex area, whether parent or professional.

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Sociologie, société et politique

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Publié par	Straightforward Publishing
Date de parution	08 avril 2013
Nombre de lectures	1
EAN13	9781847163851
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0300€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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FINDING ASPERGER SYNDROME IN THE FAMILY A BOOK OF ANSWERS
FINDING ASPERGER SYNDROME IN THE FAMILY A BOOK OF ANSWERS
Second Edition
Clare Lawrence

Emerald Publishing
www.emeraldpublishing.co.uk
Emerald Publishing
Clare Lawrence 2013-Second Edition
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in a retrieval system or transmitted by any means, electronic or mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright holders.
ISBN 978-1-84716-329-5
Printed by Berforts Press Herts
Cover design by Bookworks Islington
Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained within this book is correct at the time of going to press, the author and publisher can take no responsibility for the errors or omissions contained within.
By the same author
How to Make School Make Sense: A Parents Guide to Helping the Child with Asperger Syndrome . Jessica Kingsley (2008)
Successful School Change and Transition for the Child with Asperger Syndrome. Jessica Kingsley (2010)
Explaining Autism Spectrum Disorder . Emerald (2011)
Asperger Syndrome: What Teachers Need to Know (with Matt Winters) . Jessica Kingsley (2011)
Autism and Flexischooling: A Shared Classroom and Homeschooling Approach. Jessica Kingsley (2012)
Dog Diaries. Badger Publishing (2012)
Finding Asperger Syndrome in the Family A Book of Answers
Introduction to the second edition
When I wrote this book six years ago I never expected it to be so popular. Since then I have written five more books and have become far more confident in the field of autism, yet it is to this book that so many people refer, and with such affection. Perhaps, coming as it did from a parent who herself was just coming to understand the frustrations and fears, the wonders and the fascinations of the world of autism, it spoke directly to other parents in a way that really made contact. Perhaps its Book of Answers format made it instantly accessible to those new to a world where there are so many questions, and often so very few answers. Whatever the reason, I am very proud of it and very happy to be asked to update it where necessary for this second edition.
One element of feedback which I have received again and again is that it is called Finding AS in the Family , yet originally it dealt almost entirely with the child. In fact, it is not always in a young child that we face new diagnosis; adolescents are increasingly being picked up and also more adults are seeking (and getting) diagnosis as understanding of the autism spectrum grows. For them and for their families there is a slightly different set of questions to address and so this second edition has been reorganised to make it easier to find the questions and answers that are most relevant to your age group.
The other major change in this book has to be in terminology. I say, in that first introduction, that I use both autism and Asperger syndrome throughout the book, and that you should never let either term alarm or overwhelm you. In fact, it is quite likely that the diagnosis of Asperger syndrome will fade away after the new DSM-5 (formal diagnostic criteria) guidelines are issued later this year. Instead it is proposed that all autism, including Asperger syndrome, be included under the term Autism Spectrum Disorder . Of course, some people are very unhappy with this for various reasons, and the debate rages on at time of writing. However, there is one (perhaps accidental) advantage to the new term. The Autism Spectrum can be abbreviated to AS; so can Asperger Syndrome. In this second edition, therefore, I have used the initials AS widely. You know what they mean; please take them to stand for which ever terminology you find most comfortable!
Foreword
Meeting people with Asperger syndrome (AS), chatting to them, listening to them, and discussing AS with them is the best way for neurotypical (NT) people to begin to understand AS at an individual and global level. The more people you meet, and the more people you are able to communicate with, the better your chances are to develop a perspective more in line with the AS way of thinking, and it is always a fascinating and eye opening journey. However, many neurotypical people do not have the time or the opportunity to take this journey, so it s lucky that we have books to fall back on. Books can help to develop our understanding and assist us in creating a more AS perspective of the world, better enabling us to live and work alongside people with AS. Thus it is with great pleasure that I am able to introduce this text which has been written by a parent of a child with AS - parents, of course, being the experts second only to the individual themselves!
People with AS often end up being vilified by neurotypical people just for being themselves. People look at the individual s behaviour and judge it (using purely NT values) in a negative way. Simply because the individual with AS may not behave in the same way as an NT it is as if s/he is always in the wrong . Surely, however, once a diagnosis has been made then we should realise that, by definition, behaviour is likely to be different? So why the judgemental NTs are better attitude? I suspect that the answer to this is a lack of understanding rather than anything more sinister or discriminatory; I hope so, at least. This book goes some way in encouraging the reader not to look simply at behaviour in an NT fashion, but to see it from a differing, AS, perspective. In doing so it sheds light on what may otherwise appear to make little sense.
I have never undergone the process whereby I must seek a diagnosis for my child, and then cope with all the emotions that this entails. I have, however, had a lot of contact with a lot of parents over the years and have recognised that so many parents do not get the post-diagnostic support from professionals that they should. All too often parents are left essentially to fend for themselves or are given either minimal or inaccurate information about their child s AS. Certainly, those parents would welcome a book such as this in order to begin to make sense of the often bewildering behaviours of their son or daughter.
One of the things that I love most about autism and AS is that the behaviour of the individual, in my experience, always makes sense. It s a case of working out why that behaviour occurs and seeing the world as closely as possible through the eyes of the individual; once this has been achieved much can become clear. However, this is not an easy thing to do. The complexities of AS mean that it is often incredibly difficult to understand why an individual behaves in a way that an NT would deem odd . By definition NTs think in an acutely different way to people with AS - so it is easy to understand why NTs can find it so difficult to understand. Sometimes acceptance is all that is needed if the underlying causes are too problematic to work out. After all, we all like to be accepted for who we are irrespective of whether people have a true understanding of why we are.
The questions posed in this book, and the answers, stem directly from individuals with AS. As we know, no two individuals will be the same - so it could be argued that even if the answer to a question is absolutely correct for one individual, there is little point using that answer to explain the behaviour of another, unrelated, individual. However, this is too simplistic and ultimately a dangerous road to go down. I think we can all learn from individual experience, even if that experience does not relate directly to the child or adult we have in mind. Every single individual with AS has a multitude to offer - not just to other people with AS, but to their families and friends. What Clare has done in this book is to use her extensive experience and understanding to introduce other parents to the complex world of AS, and to provide some possible answers to the myriad of questions that are likely to be asked. This is to be commended; moreover, the style in which she does it makes for exceptionally easy reading and the positive way in which she presents AS is definitely worth the read in itself.
Pretty much every day at work I get asked questions about AS - from individuals, parents, and professionals. I do not have all (or even close to most) of the answers such is the complexity of AS and the surrounding issues. Knowledge and understanding is not easy to come by, and anything that assists in the development of either (or both) should be welcomed with open arms. Clare s book of answers is not a complete guide to understanding your child; you are unlikely to have all the answers to all the questions you have ever had after having read it. However, it does go a long way towards identifying many of the issues that parents face on a daily basis, and provides intelligent and sound guidance that will benefit the reader.
Dr Luke Beardon
The Autism Centre,
Sheffield Hallam University.
Part One Why Does He Do That? Understanding Your Young Child s AS Behaviour
1.1 Why does she sometimes appear to be deaf?
1.2 Why can t he keep still?
1.3 Why doesn t he cry?
1.4 Why doesn t she look at me?
1.5 Why doesn t she smile?
1.6. Why is he such a messy eater?
1.7 Why does he hate having his hair cut?
1.8 Why can t she follow instructions?
1.9 Why does he roar like a tiger when he s angry?
1.10 Why were we told to get him a gym ball?
1.11 Why buy her a Trampoline?
1.12 Why is he so into superheroes
1.13 Why won t he let me give him a hug?
1.14 Why does he bump into people?
1.15 Why doesn t he sleep at night?
1.16 Why does she talk in a funny voice?
1.17 Why does he say rude things?
1.18 Why does he always behave badly when we go shopping?
1.19 Why does she like watching the same thing over and over again on DVD?
1.20 Why does he cover his ears when he s frightened?
1.21 Why take him to a speech and