Asperger Syndrome and Your Child: A Parent's Guide

by Michael D. Powers and Janet Poland

Book Overview

Asperger's Syndrome and Your Child, an informative, empathetic, and comprehensive guide to this elusive condition, answers the most common questions and offers an encouraging outlook for your child's future. Dr. Michael Powers weaves together a compassionate account of everything related to AS, offering such practical advice from getting the right diagnosis to helping your child develop social skills. Infused with voices of real children who offer...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060934883
• ISBN13: 9780060934880
• Release Date: September 2003
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Excellent and compassionate overview.

I am the mother of a child with Asperger's Syndrome, and this was the first book I read about the subject after he received that diagnosis. It is an excellent and informative read. Each chapter begins with an illustrative story about different individual children with Asperger's, underscoring specific social, emotional and learning "hurdles" that individuals with Asperger's individually face. The authors then provide a detailed, well-supported and scientific explanation for the behavior (their bibliography is impressive) and present clear-cut, parent AND child friendly strategies for how to help the child cope and overcome the hurdle. What I was most grateful for was the very positive and assured tone of the book, which, by providing logical and accessible solutions to many of the difficulties we had been facing, and following their suggestions through to their logical end, gave me confidence that I was able to take steps to ensure my child achieved his greatest potential. My only criticism is the fact that it barely touches on homeschooling as a real option and all the educational strategies focused on the traditional classroom setting (though they can ALL be easily adapted to a homeschool environment), but this could be because it's several years old and the authors were not aware that, due to their unique educational, sensory and emotional needs, children with Asperger's were the most likely to be homeschooled of their special education peers. I'm sure that the authors will address this in later editions, and this omission is really hardly a flaw, so good is the rest of the information found in this book. It's titled "Asperger's Syndrome and Your Child: A Parent's Guide," but the reality is, I have given this book to several relatives who did not really believe my child was in the autism spectrum because "he didn't act like Rainman" and it helped them too. Teachers, coaches and other caregivers of children with Asperger's would benefit greatly from the advice and strategies found within its covers. This book is informative, and well-researched, and offers dozens upon dozens of generalized as well as specific strategies for families coping with Asperger's. But marked by a warm conversational style and positivity in its approach to AS at all times, it is above all a labor of love. =)

VERY GOOD and EXTREMELY HELPFUL BOOK!

I am an adult "aspie" living in Los Angeles, CA. I was never diagnosed with AS until I finally moved to California. I always knew that I was different than my peers, but never knew why. I had great difficulty making friends growing up too. I was always being regarded as being freak", "retard", "negative" ect. I read this book and will recommend any parent who has a child with AS, READ THIS BOOK and share it with others you know or are close to. I also recommend that you give the educational hints to your child's teacher. I had to suffer growing up and I learned by my own mistakes, but it was HELL! I wish that I had learned that I had Asperger's Syndrome when I was much younger. It's really a shame that there are critics who think that people make up this condition. It's real folks, and I'm living proof that it exists. I lived in South Texas where they think the only disabilities are the kind that are the most severe. They don't believe that a person with a college degree can have autism.

Clear, compassionate, and thorough guide.

Michael D. Powers has written an invaluable guide for parents of children diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome. "Asperger Syndrome and Your Child" is a comprehensive manual that covers such topics as how to get an accurate diagnosis, how to integrate your child into the community, how to cope with school, and how to deal with communication and social issues. Dr. Powers also delineates ways in which parents can help children with AS during the difficult transition to adolescence and, later, to adulthood.Dr. Powers clearly states what AS is and how it affects both the children that have it and their families. He also explains how AS manifests itself in such areas as impaired social interaction, repetitive behavior, and difficulty in communicating with others. Most important, the author outlines the many ways that AS children and their families can make the most out of a challenging situation. Dr. Powers makes liberal use of interesting and relevant anecdotes from real children with AS. Dr. Powers accentuates the positive at all times. He emphasizes that with early intervention and ample support, individuals with AS can live productive and satisfying lives. This is a hopeful and upbeat book with practical and detailed advice for anyone who wants to learn more about living successfully with AS.

Just received the AS diagnosis? You need this book.

Do you have a son or daughter recently diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome (AS)? If so, then buy this book now. I wish this book had been available four years ago when our son was diagnosed with AS. I searched for every book available to understand AS, and if this had been available then, what a treasure it would have been to find. Now that it is published, I feel that everyone who advocates for a son or daughter with AS should buy and use the insights this book has to offer. There are many. Written by an expert familiar with AS, the style gives enough technical information while still being easy to read. There are parts you will laugh outloud reading, recognizing the similarities to your own child. You will learn about the great diversity in symptoms that kids with AS can experience, and those that they share with most of their peers. Worried about the future success of your child, family issues, school performance? There's are entire chapters on these issues and more. There's a helpful "Question and Answer" section in the back of the book, and one of the best sections is the Resources, that you can access to learn more. I have bought several copies of this excellent book- for my wife and me, my parents, for our son's school, his para, and some of our friends- so that they will have a comprehensive and excellent resource to draw upon when the question arises, "What's Asperger Syndrome? How can we help (insert your son's or daughter's name here)?"