The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome by Tony Attwood Summary and Reviews
|
List Price: Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
(Click here)
Book Reviews of The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome
Book Review: Great book if you want to understand the problem
Summary: 5 Stars
This was my first book on Aspergers - it was a great read. I understand the Syndrome more now. I with it had more on the Syndrome in toddlers - it seems that research is lacking on Aspergers in toddlers. However, it was a great book and I recommend it to anyone going through Aspergers themselves or with their children.Book Review: The Complete Guide To Asperge's Syndrome by Tony Attwood
Summary: 5 Stars
I think this book is a must for people involved with teaching or caring for Children. They will find that the knowledge gained from this easy to follow language, an insight into becoming better teachers and carers. Secondly for any adult who has gone through life knowing they were different, here you will find many answers.Book Review: Complete as of this date.
Summary: 5 Stars
When comparing this book to what others are available for learning about Asperger's Syndrome, this one is the best so far. As good as it is though, it must be kept in mind that it is far from perfection (i.e., being completed).
As with most books on the topic of AS, when it comes to discussions on "Theory of Mind," it's one sided. Yes, AS people can't "read" non-verbal messages neurotypical people send out like NTs do. However, what you will never read about is how NTs can't "read" non-verbal messages AS people send out.
Tony Attwood does bring up the tendency of AS people being more literal verbally, but he doesn't go into depth about why this is so. Without such explanations, it blinds typical people from seeing the more positive sides to AS. Logic goes hand-in-hand with literal; along with patterns, science, math, etc. If logic was used to explain the liberal use of figures in speech (like "hop on the scales" or "let's toast the bride," etc. found on page 115), then it would have to do so in a derogatory way because such things truly lack sense (logic). Words can be "playful," but when they are used in that manner, their true meaning is being raped away from their original purpose. It would be like insulting someone and then saying, "I was just joking." This is one of several reasons why AS children are most often the targets of bullies and are often referred to as being retarded when in reality they're usually a lot smarter than their attackers.
Another example on the next page (116), when Mr. Atwood writes, "Children with impaired ToM abilities may not know how to answer that question," he makes it sound like AS children are inferior. This particular issue on not knowing how to answer questions also creates problems with the way tests and exams are written neurotypcially. Typical children do not "read" into things deeply. They don't examine, analyze, investigate, and/or probe as far as the AS developed brain does. If the people who write the questions for exams were more thorough, they would realize how many questions are loaded with "it depends." Why don't AS books point out how the creative/inventive mind works? Without these details, people are not going to think of all the benefits that are hidden within the seemingly negative AS traits.
Apart from my being so habitually nitpicking (meticulous attention to detail as the the AS culture would call it), overall, I do highly recommend this book.
Book Review: Sound Science delivered with Artistic Flair
Summary: 5 Stars
The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome: Review
"Congratulation's, you've got Asperger's Syndrome." If you have to quote one phrase, I think this best sums up the tone of this book. Attwood's view is that being born with a differently wired brain is not always a bad thing.
If I were the publisher I would change the title of this book to something that really accurately portrays the content - something like:
"Asperger's Syndrome: A Half-Century of Understanding and Progress."
Rather than summarize the book in a quick review, it is possibly easier to go to the preface and spell out what isn't in there. The author hints at this when he spells out where he sees future Asperger's research going. Here are some quotes from page 10:
"We need to reach on consensus on diagnostic criteria"
(More work) "must be done to achieve employment appropriate to qualifications and abilities."
"More research...into aspects of sensory perception."
"Evaluate programs to encourage friendship/relationship skills, the management of emotions and the constructive applications of special interests."
This all means that the work isn't as complete as the real title might suggest. But pretty much everything else you would expect to be in the book is in there.
To say the book is well written -on a micro level- would be to undersell it. You would expect nothing less from Tony Attwood, the world's foremost author on Asperger's syndrome. But what is a surprise to me is how carefully crafted the content arrangement of the book is. I read the chapters out of order, starting in the middle going to the end moving back and forth until finally I got to chapter one- last. That is a tribute to this work being a good reference book as well as a good read. The individual chapters are structured with a poignant quote from Hans Asperger at the beginning, to `hook you in', followed by a current summary on knowledge of the sub topic and always ending with a quote from a person with Asperger's syndrome because as Attwood puts it:
"I think that those with Asperger's should have the last comment."
To run through a brief content checklist:
1/Diagnostic information including where established practice has rough edges? Check
2/Solutions to better cope with a differently wired brain at toddler, child, teen and adult levels? Check
Some of the proposed `paths to the future' may not have the rigours of scientific proof. But if anecdotal evidence can be at all useful, then Attwood has documented it. Although the style of the book may be at times almost disarmingly casual, the bibliography at the end is `clinically complete'.
Criticisms? A book like this is at risk of suffering from observer bias. The skills needed to gain the necessary insights and recognize nuances means it is possible, even likely, that Attwood and his clinician colleagues have brains wired close to `opposite polarity' on the Asperger's brain scale spectrum. Thus it is possible that Attwood acting in his professional capacity has a biased view of what constitutes a `normal brain' because of the company he keeps. One description of an Asperger's wired brain is an `extreme male brain'. It could be that some of the diagnostic and behavioral observations in this book, labeled as unusual by clinicians, are really normal spectrum `maleness', which is perceived to be abnormal because of observer bias.
The book starts and finishes with the delightful (fantasy) tale of Jack, an Asperger's boy, who ends up with a PhD, a research career and a late blossoming relationship with a single mother. However, I find it incongruous that right at the end of the story Jack would choose as `a label of his success' to buy a new BMW Seven series car. That is the largest and most wasteful car in the BMW range (presumably so Jack can transport all of those friends Asperger's people don't have). Meanwhile Jack purports to his workmates a `green image' (it is irrelevant if it is real or not) of fanatically breeding endangered Koala bears which would no doubt flout all sort of wildlife service protection laws (hence going against a known Asperger's trait of honesty over co-worker empathy) if it were true. I wouldn't normally bother pointing out such a trivial inconsistency in a profound work. But it is the very last thing in the book, so it sticks in my mind. Tony if you ever read this review stick to the day job - I don't think the producers of `Neighbours' and `Home & Away' will be seeking out your soap opera scenario script talent yet!
OK, I admit it I am really struggling to find anything bad to say about this book. If you want to learn about Asperger's syndrome this is easily the most complete work available. Most complete that is, until Tony Attwood publishes his next book!
Book Review: A guide for therapists
Summary: 5 Stars
Sometimes therapist treat depression and anxiety on adults who suffer from Asperger syndrome. I have found that when they know why they get depressed and anxious, Aspies do much much better. Many adults with Asperger don't know they have it. This is a great guide for therapists, so they can understand their patients better.