Asperger’s Syndrome, A Guide for Parents and Professionals by Tony Attwood and Forward by Lorna Wing is a comprehensive look at Asperger’s, broken down for easy reading. I enjoyed reading this book. The book covers the diagnosis of Asperger’s, including the first recognized observations of Asperger’s by pediatrician Hans Asperger. It takes you through the characteristics, diagnosis, treatment of Asperger’s. Throughout the book, he includes examples from children and adults diagnosed with Asperger’s. He also includes frequently asked questions about Asperger’s Syndrome.
My son is diagnosed severe Autism. When I started reading the book, I was not expecting to get any relevent information from it that I could use. I was wrong. Although children with Asperger’s are higher functioning then my son, there are commonalities. The two areas that I related to the most was social behavior and fine motor skills.
My son is struggling with his writing. He is learning to type and uses that as his primary form of communication and for doing his school work. Tony wrote “Children with Asperger’s Syndrome are often very skilled at using computers and keyboards and the child could have special dispensation to type rather than write homework and examinations.” and ” In tomorrow’s world the ability to write longhand will become much less important.”
I smiled when I read that. I will continue to have my son work on his writing skills, but I feel that his academic and communication areas should not have to suffer while he develops his writing skills. I enjoyed the practical advice I read in this book. The explanations, observations, and recommendations where presented in a well thought out manner and easy to understand.
I recommend this book to everyone, not just parents of children with Asperger’s Syndrome. I have found that learning all areas of the spectrum helps me provide my son with a more rounded approach to therapies. As his mother, I am his advocate, and it is up to me to ensure that all areas covered, even if I have to do some of them on my own.
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