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Recommended ReadingThe Complete Guide to Asperger’s Syndrome (Reviewed by Anne Carpenter, ASM Librarian)TITLE: The Complete Guide to Asperger’s Syndrome Tony Attwood is one of the world’s foremost experts on ASD, particularly Asperger Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism. And his latest book, The Complete Guide to Asperger’s Syndrome, is one of the most insightful and comprehensive discussions of AS available, covering the full gamut of issues from diagnosis and Theory of Mind to education issues, adulthood, relationships and employment. Logically, the book begins with diagnostic issues including common misdiagnoses that are often given. In the same chapter, Atwood also discusses how symptoms of AS become more apparent when the child hits adolescence due to physiological changes, greater expectations at school, and the feeling of needing to fit in with one’s peers. Attwood then discusses compensation strategies that children and teens often use to better cope with being “different.” The book continues with a discussion of the value of mentoring, then devotes an entire chapter to bullying. He reviews the dynamics of bullying and why children with AS are so much more vulnerable to being bullied. The chapter also includes some helpful strategies for helping a child with AS deal with bullying. The Complete Guide to Asperger’s Syndrome also covers Theory of Mind issues in depth—what it is, how it relates to AS, and the complex role emotions play. Although geared toward psychiatrists and other professionals, Atwood’s The Complete Guide to Asperger’s Syndrome is a thoughtful and thorough discussion of AS and parents can benefit from it, as well. Kudos to Tony Attwood! |
