A comprehensive resource for students on the autism spectrum preparing for life after high school, best-selling author/counselor Dr. Jed Baker offers "life skills training" on subjects such as non-verbal cues, body language, dealing with anger, frustration and anxiety, as well as building and maintaining friendships, roommates, and intimate relationships. He focuses on conversational and employment skills, ways to balance work/school with family demands, and problematic areas such as finances, emergencies and transportation matters. The assessment tools he provides for parents and the analysis of the laws that provide accommodations to adults with disabilities are critical for success in life after high school.

Surprisingly little has been written about the daunting challenges that Asperger syndrome presents for adolescents and adults. Barnhill's work helps fill this void. Her sensitive and graphic description of the personal experiences of her family in dealing with the issues of Asperger syndrome makes this a captivating book. Barnhill, who holds a doctorate in autism spectrum disorders blends science and first person experience making this an important book for both professionals and parents.

Ten-to-eighteen year olds face many challenges, and adolescents with AS can have special difficulty navigating through the changes they encounter when they reach middle school. Friends, crushes, schoolwork-the day-to-day lives of teens present complicated issues. Child psychologist and AS specialist Teresa Bolick has solutions for overcoming the obstacles kids with AS face. Packed with practical advice and full of inspiring stories, Asperger Syndrome and Adolescence will be your guidebook as you help a teen with AS down the path toward happiness and success. You'll learn effective techniques for raising a self-sufficient, self-confident teen, and will find inspiration in the dozens of success stories Dr. Bolick shares.

This guide for professionals working with students with autism spectrum conditions (ASCs) in further education meets the increasing demand for information and support on this subject. Christine Breakey provides useful guidelines and practical advice on teaching young adults successfully and confidently, emphasising the development of resources and practical skills for use specifically in FE colleges. The author covers all the key areas and offers strategies and solutions for communicating effectively, helping students to manage transition, and understanding and minimising the causes of ASC behaviours as well as teaching social skills and ASC self-awareness. The Autism Spectrum and Further Education will be a vital resource for professionals in FE institutions who have to meet the needs of young adults with ASCs.

People Skills for Young Adults is a complete course in social skills training for students in their teens, and is particularly appropriate for those with mild learning difficulties. The book is practical in emphasis, and comprises a series of lessons accompanied by teacher sheets. Examples of scenarios are given, and students are encouraged to act them out and discuss the issues raised in them. There are also role-plays and student help sheets, which develop the areas covered in the lessons. The areas include friends and relationships, personal development, self-confidence and shyness, assertiveness, counseling and listening skills.

Working towards greater access and inclusion in education and employment for young people with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) continues to be a challenge with varying degrees of success. Matthew Hesmondhalgh outlines the inherent problems with improving services for people on the autism spectrum, from specialised schooling to supported living schemes and examines the social issues and attitudes that people with ASDs confront in so many aspects of life. The author draws on his own experience of working at The Integrated Resource, which offers educational opportunities for secondary school aged pupils with ASDs and provides a charity funded supported employment programme for young adults with ASDs. He includes a host of case examples of young people and their parents who have fought battles for inclusion, explaining the obstacles they faced, their failures and their inspiring successes. Autism, Access and Inclusion on the Front Line is a frank and honest appraisal of service provision for young people with ASDs that will both inform and encourage parents and professionals.

Have you ever been called a freak or a geek? Have you ever felt like one? Luke Jackson is 13 years old and has Asperger Syndrome. Over the years Luke has learned to laugh at such names but there are other aspects of life which are more difficult. Adolescence and the teenage years are a minefield of emotions, transitions and decisions and when a child has Asperger Syndrome, the result is often explosive. Luke has three sisters and one brother in various stages of their adolescent and teenage years but he is acutely aware of just how different he is and how little information is available for adolescents like himself. Drawing from his own experiences and gaining information from his teenage brother and sisters, he wrote this enlightening, honest and witty book in an attempt to address difficult topics such as bullying, friendships, when and how to tell others about AS, school problems, dating and relationships, and morality.

How do teenagers with Asperger Syndrome view themselves and their own lives? This book is based on extensive interviews with adolescents diagnosed with AS. It includes six life stories, as distinct from clinical case studies, written in collaboration with the teenagers themselves. These present an authentic and fascinating look at the lives of the teenagers and how AS has shaped their growing identities. The stories provide the basis for a discussion of common themes and issues facing teenagers with AS. Asperger Syndrome, Adolescence and Identity also questions the medicalized deficit approach to Asperger Syndrome and discusses the social repercussions of labelling teenagers as having AS.

In this comprehensive book, the authors start with an overview of those characteristics of Asperger Syndrome that make adolescence particularly challenging and difficult. The centerpiece of the book is a detailed discussion of strategies and supports necessary to ensure a sucessful school experience for students with Asperger Syndrome at the middle and secondary levels.

A husband and wife with Asperger's Syndrome give invaluable advice to and for teens and adults going through this difficult period. Anyone who has read Jerry Newport's first book, 'Your Life is Not a Label', knows that he has a knack for bringing understanding, warmth, and humor to any subject. Here, in this invaluable book, he and his wife, Mary, bring those same abilities to explaining the world of sexuality to people with autism and Asperger's Syndrome.

Prince-Hughes, an adjunct professor of anthropology and author of a book about gorillas, prefaces the essays in this collection with biographical information about each writer. Crediting the Internet with a rise of an 'autistic culture,' the editor goes on to differentiate between classic autism and Asperger's syndrome (AS), a condition with which she herself struggles. Each contributor tells his or her story, helping to illuminate problems with relationships, communication, obsessions, sensory channels, jobs, etc. Moreover, the special talents of these bright individuals and their coping mechanisms come to light. Here neurotypicals, autistics' label for 'normals,' can get hints about using counterquestions to promote better conversations, and those with AS can follow suggestions such as seeing a career counselor before choosing a college major. Sharing their trials and tribulations, these adults offer their communities a certain expertise, especially in libraries and universities, where people with such conditions are often successful. -- Booklist

In her bestselling Raising a Thinking Child, Myrna B. Shure introduced her nationally acclaimed "I Can Problem Solve" program, which helps four to seven-year-olds develop essential skills to resolve daily conflicts and think for themselves. With Raising a Thinking Preteen, Shure has tailored this plan especially for eight-to twelve-year-olds as they approach the unique challenges of adolescence. The preteen years are often the last opportunity for parents to teach their children how to think for themselves. This book is the only source with a proven plan to help them do just that.

From the award-winning author of Autism Spectrum Disorders, comes Adolescents on the Autism Spectrum, a complete guide to the cognitive, emotional, social, and physical needs of preteens and teenagers with autistic disorders, ranging from the relatively mild Asperger's Syndrome to more severe ability impairment. Using clear examples, practical advice, and supportive insights, this book covers: - Health risks such as seizures and depression - Treatments, therapies, and teaching strategies - Teaching skills to cope with puberty, self-care, and social skills - Teenage emotions, sexuality, appropriate relationships, and dating - Middle school, high school, and developing an Individual Educational Program - Preparing for life after high school.

Adolescence is a difficult time for any teenager, but when you have Asperger Syndrome (AS) this time of life becomes all the more challenging. Reflecting the views of parents, professionals and those with AS themselves, this book tackles issues that are pertinent to all teenagers, such as sexuality, depression and friendship, as well as discussing topics such as disclosure and therapeutic possibilities specific to those with AS, making this an essential survival guide to adolescence.

Through a unique combination of Social Stories and easy-to-understand activities, this unique book offers a curriculum that guides the child and caregiver on issues of health, hygiene, and the challenges of puberty. It is a must-read for those who guide students with disabilities.