Voices from the Spectrum is a compelling collection of personal accounts from people on the autism spectrum and those who care for them, including professionals, friends and family members. The essays in this collection tell of both the positive and negative effects of autism on individuals and families, and pose the question: is a diagnosis on the autism spectrum a puzzle to be solved, or something to be embraced and accepted? The broad scope of this book presents insights into the autism spectrum from many different perspectives – from first-hand accounts of the autistic child's school and childhood experiences to parents' and grandparents' reactions to a diagnosis. A number of chapters written by professionals explain their motivations for working with autistic people and reveal what they have learned from their work and how it has affected their lives. The contributors describe experiences of autism from the mildest to the most severe case, and share their methods of adapting to life on the spectrum. Voices from the Spectrum will appeal to a wide readership of adults and younger people on the autism spectrum, their families and friends, as well as practitioners.

Follow a boy woth autism and his mother as they chronicle his life from the hidden world. This is the bestseller that was out of publication for a few years - including a new section updating where Sean is today.

Diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome in adulthood, Jen Birch relates her story with humor and honesty, taking us through the years of frustration and confusion that led to her diagnosis in 1999. She candidly describes her continual search for 'normality,' her experiences at work, her difficulties with relationships, her time spent in a psychiatric hospital and her struggle for correct diagnosis. Talking positively about how her life has changed since her diagnosis, Jen aims to use this newfound knowledge to inform others about the syndrome and how, once its pros and cons are understood, life can be lived to the full.

Born with autism, Lucy could not understand much of what was said around her. Her own language came later from newspapers and books. She created stories and poems in her head from the words she had read. As an adult she still barely speaks. In her teens she started using a keyboard with someone touching her arm, but that was not a substitute for ordinary speech. Lucy's language had developed in a world of her own making in which she had never passed on information to someone else. Even today she does not answer questions in the same way as other people. Lucy's ambition was to write a book. She went to high school. She wrote letters and essays, learned how to explain herself and began to create characters in her stories. While writing she started to understand her own autism, and through that understanding she came to type on a computer with no physical support to complete her BA (Hons) in Literary Studies.

In the poems he is talking about relationships, and shows an awareness of society and his place in it. He's aware of his own condition and of other people and how they react to him. Being able to reflect on that is something people didn't realize that autistic people did.

Before he received his diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome (AS) in the 1970s, Marc Fleisher was considered mentally retarded; yet he went on against the odds to gain two math degrees and to undertake post-graduate studies in math. In this engaging story Marc relates how, supported by his family and by services for people with autism, and despite family tragedy and personal difficulties, he learnt to get the most out of life. He shares, with humour and candour, a multitude of practical tips for people with AS, and those around them, rounding off his story with appendices on astronomy, parallel universes, and the mathematics of unfeasibly large numbers.

Gunilla Gerland is active in promoting an understanding of autistic spectrum conditions.

Temple Grandin, Ph.D., is a gifted animal scientist who has designed one third of all the livestock-handling facilities in the United States. She also lectures widely on autism—because Temple Grandin is autistic, a woman who thinks, feels, and experiences the world in ways that are incomprehensible to the rest of us. In this unprecedented book, Grandin delivers a report from the country of autism. Writing from the dual perspectives of a scientist and an autistic person, she tells us how that country is experienced by its inhabitants and how she managed to breach its boundaries to function in the outside world. What emerges in Thinking in Pictures is the document of an extraordinary human being, one who, in gracefully and lucidly bridging the gulf between her condition and our own, sheds light on the riddle of our common identity.

A true story that is both uniquely moving and exceptionally inspiring, Emergence is the first-hand account of a courageous autistic woman who beat the odds and cured herself. As a child, Temple Grandin was forced to leave her 'normal' school and enroll in a school for autistic children. This searingly honest account captures the isolation and fears suffered by autistics and their families and the quiet strength of one woman who insisted on a miracle.

What makes the Asperger child immerse himself in such things as Doctor Who and The Incredible Hulk? In this honest and entertaining autobiographical account, Will Hadcroft links his obsessive TV series fixations to eventually being diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome. He describes drawing comfort from identifying himself with heroic individuals or fictional characters, and the liberating effect of an accurate diagnosis for someone who felt 'out of place' and didn't know why. This original and highly readable book offers a fresh insight into the experience of feeling ‘unmutual', or misunderstood and how this can result in bullying at school and in the workplace, escalating into social phobia, paranoia and obsessive behaviour. It amply illustrates some of the more subtle expressions of the Asperger condition and provides an accessible introduction to those new to AS.

This book is about hope and love and undaunted courage of the human spirit crying to be heard. It is a story about our son, Charles, who was trapped for thirty-six years in a body which could not speak. Believed to be severely or profoundly mentally retarded, unable to show emotion at will by facial expression, Charles kept the faith. He prayed that the day would come when God would give him a means of allowing his parents and the rest of the world to know that he was cognitive with a heart full of love for God and Man. He wanted to be ready and so he listened, learned and observed life as it is lived by verbal people. When the technique of facilitated communication was offered to him, Charles was ready. Slowly, he embraced it fully and the pages which follow are a saga of rebirth and a celebration of life. Charles' story is not unique. There are many other nonverbal individuals out there just waiting for people to reach out to them and bring a little light into their otherwise dormant, isolated lives. Being human, there is an innate desire to communicate. When this is blocked, the result is an overwhelming feeling of inadequacy. It prevents them from entering what Charles refers to as 'the real world.'

Kenneth Hall was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome at the age of eight. His early school years had been difficult, as although he is bright and articulate, his behavior could be challenging and easily misread. After his diagnosis, the Local Education Board intervened and provided him with a laptop computer, to encourage him to express himself. This book is the result. Kenneth is in a unique position to describe some of the inner experiences and perceptions of autism in childhood. He has a warm and positive attitude to Asperger's Syndrome which other children will find inspiring. Insights, struggles and joys are recounted vividly in a frank and humorous way. His book is for anyone interested in understanding more about autism, including parents, siblings, teachers and professionals.

Wendy Lawson has an autism spectrum disorder. Considered to be intellectually disabled and 'almost incapable of doing as she is told' at school, she was later misdiagnosed as schizophrenic - a label that stuck with her for more than 25 years. Her sense of self was then non-existent, but Wendy is now a mother of four with two university degrees; she is a social worker and adult educator, and operates her own business. She is also a poet and a writer, sharing her understanding of autism with others to help 'build a bridge...from my world to theirs'. Life Behind Glass is part of that bridge.

To many of the people who live or work with an individual with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the processes by which those with autism make sense of the world around them may seem mysterious. In Understanding and Working with the Spectrum of Autism Wendy Lawson demonstrates these processes using comparisons from the non-ASD world to help professionals, families and carers to relate to and communicate with people with ASD better. Exercises at the back of the book encourage the reader to reflect on what has been discussed. The second part of the book contains chapters presenting a range of interventions and strategies for particular situations. Wendy illustrates her text with examples from her own life and from the lives of those she has met or worked with to clarify her points. She analyses ASD characteristics and examines interventions for dealing with social skills, anger management and self-esteem. Stress, its effects on the families of children with autism, and how best it can be alleviated, is also explored. Wendy writes in the light of her personal experience of an autism spectrum disorder as well as that of the available literature to create a book that is both readable and wide-ranging, furthering understanding of the links and differences between neurotypical individuals and those with ASD. Her book is an essential introduction to ASD for social workers, nurses, health professionals and those working in related fields.

Wendy Lawson's well-known poetry reflects the many aspects of a life lived with Asperger's Syndrome. In this illustrated collection of poems and short prose pieces, including some from her childhood and teenage years, Wendy engages with her past and present, writing frankly about childhood, self-discovery, adulthood and friendship. Her poetry also conveys the day-to-day challenges presented by divorce, bereavement, emigration, disclosing homosexuality and Asperger's Syndrome. Both reflective and life affirming, these poems offer evocative glimpses of the Asperger experience and will enrich readers' understanding of autism spectrum disorders.

The remarkable story of Jonathan Lerman, a young artist with autism, seized the attention of the art world at the 2002 Outsider Art Fair. Coverage by The New York Times, The Today Show, 48 Hours, and other international media has brought him into millions of homes across the country. This selection of fifty drawings, with a text by critic Lyle Rexer, presents the full range and astonishing growth of Jonathan's extraordinary talent. Diagnosed with autism and at first scarcely able to communicate, Jonathan began drawing at age ten. By age twelve, his drawings were exhibited in a solo exhibition at K. S. Art in New York. Working with the assurance of a Matisse, the speed of a Picasso, and the humor of a born cartoonist, Jonathan has created an unforgettable body of work. His drawings include portraits of actual figures as well as figures from his own imagination, all rendered with great acuity. These drawings overturn the stereotype of the so-called savant artist as an unchanging talent sprung to life fully formed. Instead, they detail the restless experimentation and rapid growth of an artistic sensibility.

Mr. McKean's offering takes you inside the mind of a person with autism. He describes the sensory stimulations and challenges in a sensitive manner rarely seen in the autistic community. Mr. McKean even offers poems that offer the reader a unique perspective. Thomas takes you through his early childhood, the pain of misdiagnosis, being institutionalized for three and one-half years, the difficulty of relationships, and the fears and apprehensions of a person with autism. He also discusses different treatment options. This book is excellent for a family with a autistic member, anyone working with that community or students studying autism.

"Notes from Ohio" is an anthology of stories and essays written by Bryce Merlin, a 23-year-old hearing impaired man who lives in Southern Ohio. Merlin writes about his family, his pets, and imaginary stories such as "Sam and Bone" about the unlikely friendship of a giant and a dwarf.

We invite you to join us on our journey of discovery into realms of inner space. This is not a book that will give you a list of pathologies and signs. Rather we ask you to admire our surprising gifts and our insights that push the boundaries of what the human mind can accomplish. But we also ask you to recognize the very real limitations that frustrate us....

Once in a great while, a special person emerges in the history of science and medicine whose unique set of characteristics sheds light on an entire disorder and sometimes even on the mysteries of the human brain. Tito is such a person. Although he is severely autistic and nearly nonverbal, his ability to communicate through his extraordinary writing is astonishing. At the age of three, Tito was diagnosed with severe autism, but his mother, with boundless hope and determination, read to him and taught him to write in English. She also challenged him to write his own stories. The result of their efforts is this remarkable book-written when he was 8 to 11 years old-comprising profound and startling philosophical prose and poetry. His beautifully crafted language reveals how it feels to be locked inside an autistic body and mind. THE MIND TREE is the work of an artist. With each page, Tito bursts through his silence into a world of art, beauty and hope.

In 1982, when he was four years old, Kamran Nazeer was enrolled in a small school in New York City alongside a dozen other children diagnosed with autism. Calling themselves the Idiots, these kids received care that was at the cutting edge of developmental psychology. Twenty-three years later, the school no longer exists. Send in the Idiots is the always candid, often surprising, and ultimately moving investigation into what happened to those children. Now a policy adviser in England, Kamran decides to visit four of his old classmates to find out the kind of lives that they are living now, how much they’ve been able to overcome—and what remains missing. A speechwriter unable to make eye contact; a messenger who gets upset if anyone touches his bicycle; a depressive suicide victim; and a computer engineer who communicates difficult emotions through the use of hand puppets: these four classmates reveal an astonishing, thought-provoking spectrum of behavior. Bringing to life the texture of autistic lives and the pressures and limitations that the condition presents, Kamran also relates the ways in which those can be eased over time, and with the right treatment. Using his own experiences to examine such topics as the difficulties of language, conversation as performance, and the politics of civility, Send in the Idiots is also a rare and provocative exploration of the way that people—all people—learn to think and feel. Written with unmatched insight and striking personal testimony, Kamran Nazeer’s account is a stunning, invaluable, and utterly unique contribution to the literature of what makes us human.

An encouraging, educational, and often humorous guide for teens and young adults with Asperger's Syndrome or high-functioning autism. Jerry, a man with autism, gives advice on dating, money, traveling independently and more! This clever book will help others live fuller, more independent lives.

The realization that "our community seemed to know more about the first twenty years of an autistic person's life than it did about the rest of that life" leads the Newports to tell their own boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl, boy-finds-girl love story—but with a difference, for both suffer from Asperger's syndrome. At times, this "terminal cluelessness" seems both the cause of and the least of their problems: Jerry's life "had drifted from one failed vocation to the next, [among them] pot dealer, horse-race betting fanatic, taxi driver, Goodwill bell ringer, bookstore cashier, elementary school librarian." Mary's more traumatic experiences included a cult marriage, abusive lovers and mental hospital stints. Both grapple with anxiety and despair before epiphanies: for Jerry, when he sees Rain Man; for Mary, when her brother directs her to the Autistic Society. Love for the two slips in the day they meet at a party for adult autistics. Then they experienced media fame, becoming "Mr. and Mrs. Autism" (a front-page profile in the Los Angeles Times; a 60 Minutes visit; an eponymous movie). Boy loses girl again in a divorce, but love triumphs. Along the way, autistic readers will find comforting fellowship, and general readers will acquire valuable knowledge. (Publisher's Weekly)

This is a rich and positive description of how it feels to be autistic and how friends, family and the professionals that work with autistic people can be more sensitive to their needs. Jasmine Lee O'Neill, autistic herself, perceives the creativity, imagination and keenly-felt sensory world of the autistic person as gifts. She argues that 'normalizing' autistic people - pushing them into behaving in a way that is alien to their true natures - is not just ineffective but wrong. In this vivid and enjoyable book, she challenges the reader to accept their difference and to celebrate their uniqueness. The book contains a wealth of insight into the autistic world and the author covers all the main topics of most concern for people with autism. She identifies the reasons for particular characteristic behaviour and is both clear and sensitive about whether, and if how so, the autistic person should be encouraged to adapt such behaviours. Drawn from her own experience, she has many suggestions for ways in which the 'normal' world can shape itself to work around the behavioural characteristics of autistic people. Her book is for anyone who is interested in learning more about autism, including families and friends of autistic people, doctors and therapists, and all those who work with them. It will also prove a source of inspiration to autistic people themselves.

Michael O’Reilly will prove to you what the great Teilhard de Chardin once remarked, "Once you discover love, you will have discovered fire for the second time!" Born in New York City in 1976, Michael O’Reilly was your normal, wide-eyed youngster until he reached the age of three. At that time, his parents noticed he began to withdraw and suffered selective mutism. The teacher at the pre-kindergarten class suggested Michael be tested and after several trips to various pediatricians and psychologists, it was determined that Michael was afflicted with a serious case of mild autism. One day, Michael learned Facilitated Communication, a skill being taught to autistic children to enable them to break through and reveal their genuine selves. The scientific basis for this technique was developed out of the University of Syracuse. Michael’s dad learned as much as possible about Facilitated Communication and to his delight, found in Michael an apt and enthusiastic student. Michael surprised his dad one day and told him that he wanted to leave his special education school and enroll in the local high school. Within two years, Michael graduated and was awarded an accredited high school diploma. Michael then told his dad he wanted to go to college, so he entered Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, where he honed his writing skills and won the admiration of all for his unusually brilliant poetry. Even his professor, a one time Broadway playwright, singled Michael out and lauded his extraordinary writing talents. Several of Michael’s poems have been published in the Albertus Magnus yearly poetry special. Michael offers this selection of his work to the general public because he sincerely believes he can make a difference not only for autistic persons, but also for each of us battling our own individual handicaps in life. For Michael, handicaps are challenges love can conquer.

Expecting Teryk is an intimate exploration, written in the form of a letter from a parent to her future son, that reclaims a rite of passage that modern society would strip of its magic. Dawn Prince-Hughes, renowed author of Songs of a Gorilla Nation: My Journey Through Autism, considers the ways her disabilities might inform her parenting. She candidly narrates her experience of becoming a parent as part of a lesbian couple-from meeting her partner and the questions they ask about their readiness to become parents, to the practical considerations of choosing a sperm donor. Expecting Teryk is expressed through the lens of autism as Prince-Hughes shares the unique way she sees and experiences.

In this elegant and thought-provoking memoir, Dawn Prince-Hughes traces her personal growth from undiagnosed autism to the moment when, as a young woman, she entered the Seattle Zoo and immediately became fascinated with the gorillas. Having suffered from a lifelong inability to relate to people in a meaningful way, Dawn was surprised to find herself irresistibly drawn to these great primates. By observing them and, later, working with them, she was finally able to emerge from her solitude and connect to living beings in a way she had never previously experienced. Songs of the Gorilla Nation is more than a story of autism, it is a paean to all that is important in life. Dawn Prince-Hughes's evocative story will undoubtedly have a lasting impact, forcing us, like the author herself, to rediscover and assess our own understanding of human emotion.

Jeanette Purkis spent her early life reacting violently against her feelings of embarrassment, anger and confusion about her ‘difference' from other people. She was unaware until well into adulthood that everything she found difficult, including her lack of success in forming relationships, could be a result of having Asperger Syndrome. Used to being a misfit from a very young age, Jeanette found that being a member of a group in which she had a label – Jeanette the Communist; Jeanette, Enemy of the State; Jeanette the convict; Jeanette the drug addict – gave her a sense of order she could depend on, particularly in prison, where each day had a set routine and the inmates accepted her because of her rebel attitude. Finally diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome at the age of 20, the author only began to accept her diagnosis some years later when she felt for the first time that she might learn to cope with being herself. Jeanette's remarkable life and her journey towards finding a different kind of normal is compelling and inspiring reading for people with autism spectrum disorders, and those living or working with them.

Written from a parent's perspective, this book gives a candid and thoughtful account of one family's trek through the world of Asperger Syndrome. The author makes it very clear that, while professional help can be necessary, parents are in the best position to make a difference in their children's lives and should be in control of, and involved in, their children's care and education. She offers practical and positive advice on topics including diagnosis and self-diagnosis dealing with your own reactions and those of others, types of school and homeschooling, medication and dietary issues. Written in clear, straightforward language, the book does not promote any particular therapy or prescribe fixed solutions, but aims to help parents to ask good questions and come up with answers to suit their own circumstances and children. Full of humour and common sense, Hitchhiking through Asperger Syndrome will make encouraging, inspiring and entertaining reading for all parents of children with Asperger Syndrome.

In this collection of poems, Craig Romkema describes the daily journey of an individual whose body is encumbered with the symptoms of autism and cerebral palsy, but whose mind and spirit are relatively unaffected. Forcing the barriers aside momentarily, he shares his life experience, offering insights into a life beyond disability. Writing of his hopes, fears, and aspirations, as well as his everyday reality, his poetry will speak in particular to others on the autism spectrum, their families, and those who work with them.

This project is committed to portraying autism and, more profoundly, individuals with autism, from the inside out. Through the media of photography and writing, this book hopes to educate and inspire by breaking apart stereotypes associated with autism while showing vividly that love is omnipotent in our trials and triumphs. It is the ultimate lesson, weapon and savior as we struggle to understand and overcome life’s challenges each day.The writing describes a journey, taking readers through hope, despair, pain and resurrection. It touches on the collective human experience of suffering and redemption while showing a pathway to a profoundly higher ground of understanding and acceptance. The story is written from a collective heart, formed by countless intimate exchanges with families struggling and triumphing, again and again as they live and love in the autistic world. The greater purpose, beyond the story of autism, is the universal message that from the depths of darkness, often we find the greatest enlightenment. The autistic individual is a beautiful metaphor for this belief. In a culture that bombards with messages that perfection is the key to happiness, the autistic individuals and their families dare to challenge this notion while drawing others to look beneath and beyond the superficial. With startling beauty, the images prove what in words alone might be denied: that beneath and beyond autism there is a reality often missed: a will, a soul, an identity that achieves the full measure of its creation; to connect with others in ways not seen or appreciated by surface observation. This combination of narrative and image becomes a powerful parable that reaches and teaches far beyond autism itself, touching on spiritual truths often lost in the cultural mainstream.

This important book, with the intent of helping others, is an anecdotal overview portraying the life of a person afflicted with Asperger's Syndrome, a high functioning and mild form of autism. The author, who had autistic traits as a child, has successfully overcome numerous obstacles to lead a reasonably normal life. He holds a degree in Electrical Engineering, and he has occupied himself with construction projects, carpentry and painting. He is now an author and has written several books, among them three science fiction novels, and a novel about an American in Mexico. He travels extensively and enjoys bicycling and hiking. Various experiences of his life are presented from childhood to the present, and most of them bear certain qualities and characteristics of Asperger's Syndrome. Other important topics and difficulties related to autism are discussed, such as: childhood idiosyncrasies, obsessions and worries, dwelling on subjects, strong convictions, expecting friendships to continue, collecting things, plus other subjects and ideas. There are several anecdotes that point out some bizarre incidents in his life, along with stories that reveal some of the unique and important projects he has accomplished. Also discussed are possible causes of autism, whether they be from genetic inheritance, out of balance brain chemistries, or even from heavy metals. Some unique and original solutions including insights are also covered. Overcoming Asperger's is all a process as we explore new ideas and concepts.

This important book is an autobiographical story portraying the life of a person with Asperger's syndrome, the high functioning and mild form of autism. Robert Sanders, who had autistic traits as a child, has remarkably overcome numerous obstacles to lead a reasonably normal life. He holds a degree in Electrical Engineering, and he has occupied himself with construction projects, carpentry and painting. He is also an author and has written several books, among them three science fiction novels, and a novel about an American in Mexico. He travels extensively and enjoys bicycling, hiking, and photography. His struggles but also his accomplishments are discussed throughout, along with anecdotes, personal experiences, insights, unique ideas, and solutions. This book was written to give hope and encouragement to all of its readers that those with Asperger's syndrome can also overcome their obstacles.

His discovery only in retirement that he has high-functioning autism provided Edgar Schneider at last with an explanation for his many differences, explored in Discovering my Autism. In this book he takes up the story, telling of his marriage to a like-minded woman, and of the day-to-day realities of life with this condition. His description of autistic attitudes towards relationships, politics, theology and health are rich and original. Schneider argues that if people with high functioning autism and Asperger Syndrome are left to their own devices they are capable of making lives for themselves that are rich and rewarding.

In 1978, under immense pressure at work, Edgar Schneider suffered a nervous breakdown. After convalescing, he returned to work, but within a few months he was again suffering from problems involving short-term memory and concentration. He was described as eccentric, tangential, illogical and hallucinatory; and diagnosed as schizophrenic. Sixteen years later, the chance reading of an article on autistic savants alerted Schneider to the possibility that he had been misdiagnosed. This proved to be the case: he is believed to be a high-functioning autistic, with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

This honest, courageous book, written by a person with high-functioning autism and Asperger Syndrome, offers so much more than the traditional autobiography. Drawing on personal and professional experience, Stephen Shore, who is currently completing his doctoral degree in special education at Boston University, combines three voices to create a touching and, at the same time, highly informative book. The autobiographical voice tells the story of Stephen's life, including his parents' frustrations with the educational and medical communities, his adolescence and now adult married life. The "time shifter" fills in background information about his life that is otherwise out of the chronological order of the events being related; finally the researcher's voice puts Stephen's personal life within the context of the research literature on autism and Asperger Syndrome. By using this triple lens, the book offers insights for parents, professionals as well as individuals who have Asperger Syndrome.

Transfer Boy: Perspectives on Asperger Syndrome explores what it is like to be an adolescent with Asperger Syndrome, through interviews with Teodor, a 'psychologically unusual' thirteen-year-old. In this detailed case study, Vuletic and Ferrari combine an autobiographical account with perspectives from other family members and people who know Teodor well, while simultaneously integrating psychiatric and psychological research on autism. The authors evaluate the merits and pitfalls of different interpretations of autism and address the broad psychological issues related to Asperger Syndrome -- intelligence, social skills, memory, the transitional period from childhood to adolescence. The study includes results and interpretations of standard measures of self-concept, an IQ test and a psychiatric exam, contributing to the hitherto under-researched area of autistic self-knowledge.

Four years ago, Chris Slater-Walker was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome. For him this was an explanation of why he has always regarded himself as 'socially handicapped,' but for his wife Gisela it meant coming to terms with a marriage in which there would never be any intuitive understanding, despite Chris's good intentions. This book is an open and honest account of a long and still unfinished process of learning to live with a disability that some regard as incompatible with marriage. It is a story whose wider implications will be of compelling interest to anyone who has encountered autism spectrum conditions.

Pretending to be Normal tells the story of a woman who, after years of self-doubt and self-denial, learned to embrace her Asperger's syndrome traits with thanksgiving and joy. Chronicling her life from her earliest memories through her life as a university lecturer, writer, wife and mother, Liane Holliday Willey shares, with insight and warmth, the daily struggles and challenges that face many of those who have Asperger's Syndrome. Pretending to be Normal invites its readers to welcome the Asperger community with open acceptance, for it makes it clear that, more often than not, they are capable, viable, interesting and kind people who simply find unique ways to exhibit those qualities. The last part of the book consists of a series of substantial appendices which provide helpful coping strategies and guidance, based on the author's own experience, for a range of situations. This positive and humane book will provide not only insight into the Asperger world which will prove invaluable for the professionals who work with people with Asperger's Syndrome, but also hope and encouragement for other people with Asperger's Syndrome, their families, and their friends.

Liane Holliday Willey and one of her daughters both have Asperger Syndrome. In * Asperger Syndrome in the Familyshe looks, with honesty, wisdom and humor, at the implications this has for her family, both the Aspie and the non-Aspie members. Through personal vignettes, frank discussions and practical suggestions for dealing with everything from major to minor Aspie challenges, Liane, her husband and their three daughters bravely open their home to their readers, inviting them to look behind the curtains at their version of Aspie life. Not only does the book underscore the importance of mutual support and respect in an Aspie family - in fact in any family - it offers practical help for families in similar situations. This is a rich and positive book that will speak to all those whose lives have been affected by Asperger Syndrome.

'This is a story of two battles, a battle to keep out 'the world' and a battle to join it.' She inhabits a place of chaos, cacophony, and dancing lightùwhere physical contact is painful and sights and sounds have no meaning. Although labeled, at times, deaf, retarded, or disturbed, Donna Williams is autistic--afflicted by a baffling condition of heightened sensory perception that imprisons the sufferer in a private, almost hallucinatory universe of patterns and colors. Nobody Nowhere is Donna's story in her own words--a haunting, courageous memoir of the titanic struggles she has endured in her quest to merge 'my world' with 'the world.'

In the acclaimed sequel to Nobody Nowhere--in which Donna Williams gives readers a guided tour of life with autism--Williams explores the four years since her diagnosis and her attempts to leave her 'world under glass' and live normally.

Everyday Heaven is the much-awaited fourth installment in Donna Williams' series of best-selling autobiographies about her life with autism. A humorous, riveting, roller-coaster of a book, Everyday Heaven covers the monumental nine years from the time Ian left their accidental, 'autistic marriage,' to Donna's candid, funny, often bumbling explorations of sexuality and orientation, the challenge of coming to terms with the sudden deaths of those closest to her and finally knowing what life was like without the invisible cage of her 'Exposure Anxiety'. Described as enthralling, deeply moving and gripping, this book will strike a lasting chord not only with autistic readers and professionals seeking to better understand those on the autism spectrum but all of us who simply dream of daring to love deeply, to adventure and to deal triumphantly with the losses along the way.

Like Colour to the Blind is the third of three autobiographies in which Donna Williams recounts the story of her struggle with autism. She writes about how it has shaped her world and the way in which she attempts to break through to the other side. 'I'm a culture looking for a place to happen' she writes in Somebody Somewhere, the sequel to Nobody Nowhere (which reached the bestseller list when published as a trade paperback). The search for this 'place' is central to Donna's survival in an unsympathetic, ignorant world that fails to comprehend her version of normality. Her life story is a landmark in the literature of mental health and gives a unique perspective on living with autism from the inside. In Nobody Nowhere, she describes the desolation of the first twenty-five years of her life, before discovering the word 'autism' - a label which brought with it some answers and the hope of a sense of belonging. Somebody Somewhere takes up the thread of her story at the point where Nobody Nowhere left off: her ongoing battle to overcome the compulsions and obsessions of autism, and her increasingly successful efforts to lead a normal life, despite her condition. Like Colour to the Blind tells the story of Donna's relationship with Ian, a man with difficulties similar to her own. She describes how they learn to admit and live with their feelings for one another, as they search for a true sense of self.

Donna William's challenging new book, written by an autistic person for people with autism and related disorders, carers, and the professionals who work with them, is a practical handbook to understanding, living with and working with autism. Exploring autism from the inside, it shows clearly how the behaviours associated with autism can have a range of different causes, and in many cases reflect the autistic person's attempt to gain control over their internal world. The sensory and perceptual problems that challenge a person with autism are described in depth, together with strategies for tackling them so as to enable that person to take more control of their lives. Donna Williams comments on the various approaches to autism, drawing out those strategies that are of real use, and explaining why some approaches may prove counterproductive, leaving the autistic person feeling even more isolated and misunderstood. Taking the view that understanding autism is the key to managing the condition, Donna William's book will bring illumination to all those who have felt baffled and frustrated by the outside appearance of autism. It contains a wealth of helpful suggestions, insights and new ideas, exploding old myths and promoting a view that all those involved with autism will find empowering and creative.

Not Just Anything is a mosaic of logic, passion and philosophical musings by Donna Williams, sometimes jolting, sometimes moving, often illuminating. In it Donna takes you on a poetic adventure into places past, present and beyond. Often intertwined with the world of autistic experience, her writings divulge with immediacy, a person in the grip of overload and shutdowns, of extreme sensory and emotional highs and passions, of alienation from self, from body and fear of the intensity of emotion, of the struggle to know self, to communicate, to comprehend. At other times, her writing somehow transcends the often assumed limitations of autism, and she dissects so many of the concepts we take for granted, bringing us face to face with our own social constructions of 'reality' and so called 'normality' in a way only Donna can.