Meet Maria - a woman with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Maria tells the story of her holiday with her husband Ben, her children Cara and Dino, and Teddy the dog, which was interrupted when she began to feel dizzy, exhausted and weak. She explains how this led to her diagnosis and describes what MS is, how it affects her daily life and what others can do to help. This illustrated book will be an ideal introduction to MS for children from the age of 7, as well as older readers. It will help family, friends and carers to better understand and explain MS, and will be an excellent starting point for group discussions.

When he was a kid, Quentin Kenihan loved Superman. Ironic, really. Quentin didn't need kryptonite to reveal his weakness - born with a rare bone disorder, osteogenesis imperfecta, his bones broke all on their own. When Quentin was seven, Mike Willesee made a documentary about him. Australians fell in love with his wit, and never-say-die attitude. Over the years he grew up before our eyes. But there was a dark side to his life. The true story was never told ... until now. A story of abandonment, drug addiction, dark days and thoughts of suicide. Battling through it all, Quentin's resilience is inspiring. Quentin is now determined to live life the best he can. Just turned 41, he is a filmmaker, stand-up comedian, radio host, actor and film critic; he's hung out with Angelina, accidentally ripped Jennifer Lopez's dress, talked sex with Jean-Claude Van Damme, appeared in MAD MAX and interviewed Julia Gillard, all the while showing that living in a wheelchair doesn't mean staying still. This is an unforgettable, brutally honest, at times heartbreaking memoir. Quentin Kenihan is living proof that superheroes don't need capes, just the right attitude! 'Quentin is a hero of mine. Probably the toughest man I have ever met. Read this book and reconsider how hard you think your life is. It is a liberating experience to face life through his eyes.' - RUSSELL CROWE

How do you create an ordinary family life, while dealing with the extraordinary needs of an autistic child? Meet Mickey - charming, funny, compassionate, and autistic. In this unflinching portrait of family life, Liane Kupferberg Carter gives us a mother's insight into what really goes on in the two decades after diagnosis. From the double-blow of a subsequent epilepsy diagnosis, to bullying and Bar Mitzvahs, Mickey's struggles and triumphs along the road to adulthood are honestly detailed to show how one family learned to grow and thrive with autism.

Equipping you with the knowledge and tools to become an effective case manager for your child, this book provides straightforward, practical instructions to create a comprehensive guide to your child's unique ASD profile. The individualized guide will: - Provide information about your child's unique profile for anyone who needs it - Serve as a toolbox and teaching template for your child's teachers and support team, with effective strategies to use with him or her - Be an instruction booklet for your child, helping him or her to thrive at home, school and in the community - Act as a case management road map to help you support your child and collaborate with teachers and service providers. The book includes checklists and worksheets, which can also be accessed online, so that you can easily create a personalized guide for your child with autism aged 5-14.

Will Attwood was finishing a three-year sentence in prison when he was formally diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome for the first time. After his diagnosis he recognised just how much it had been affecting his life behind bars. This book is a practical advice guide for people with autism who have been sentenced to time in prison. Will shares his first-hand knowledge of what to expect and how to behave within the penal system. He sheds light on topics that are important for people with autism, answering questions such as: How should you act with inmates and guards? How do you avoid trouble? What about a prison's environmental stimuli may cause you anxiety? His thoughtful, measured writing debunks rumours about daily life in prison, and the useful tips and observations he offers will help anyone with autism prepare for the realities of spending time incarcerated, and be enormously helpful to those working with offenders on the autism spectrum.

Open, honest and upbeat, this book gives personal insight into both the ups and downs of an Asperger relationship. Seeking to challenge the bad press that people with Asperger Syndrome (AS) get as partners, Sarah and Keith tell their story of how they are making it work - and also how they got it wrong - with disarming frankness and humour. When Sarah and Keith met in 2003 neither knew much about Asperger Syndrome. Sarah thought Keith was `weird' and couldn't work out why; and Keith thought Sarah was obsessed with diagnosing him with something-or-other. Difficulties ensued that brought the relationship to an end. Slowly, however, they each built up their knowledge of AS and in the meantime developed a mutual understanding, mutual acceptance and a desire to be together again. This personal account is supplemented with professional knowledge and anecdotes gained from Sarah's work with adults with AS - a career which started as a result of her experiences with Keith. She swears that she didn't take her work home with her! It is inspiring reading for couples in Asperger relationships as well as for counselling professionals.

Do you need help dealing with your child's tantrums, inappropriate behavior or communication issues? Then this is the book you've been waiting for. Based on the principles of the Miller Method, this book is filled with effective tips for solving behavioral issues promptly in day-to-day situations. Miller's insights, compiled here and expanded upon by Theresa Smith, are based on an understanding of the cognitive and sensory needs of children with autism and how this can underlie certain disordered behaviors. This practical how-to guide will help you to identify causes of distress, foster friendships, increase focus, toilet train, stop tantrums and handle inappropriate conduct. This will provide essential daily support to parents, families, carers and teachers of pre-adolescent children on the autism spectrum. The book is targeted toward the most affected ASD children.

The book is an honest, first-hand account of how people with autism deal with the loss of someone in their life. Unlike the non-autistic response, people with autism, when faced with overwhelming or stressful situations, will favour solitude over sharing their emotions, tend to focus on special interests, and become extremely logical, often not expressing any emotion. This behaviour often leads to the belief that people with autism lack empathy, which is far from the case. Through the description of personal experience, and case studies, the book explores how people with autism feel and express the loss of a loved one, how they process and come to terms with their feelings of grief, and offers practical and detailed advice to parents and carers on a range of sensitive issues. These include clear instructions on how best to support someone with autism through the grieving process, how to prepare them for bad news, how to break the bad news, how to involve them in the funeral or wake, and how best to respond to later reactions. The final chapter explores the issue of why children and teens with autism can be drawn to death as a special interest, and explains that the interest is not normally a morbid one.

Toilet training can be a battleground for parents and children. In this book-the only one on the market dealing with the specific issues involved in toilet training children with autism-Maria Wheeler offers a detailed roadmap for success, based on over twenty years of experience. Easy-to-read bulleted lists offer over 200 do's and don'ts presented, along with more than fifty real-life examples. Learn, among other things, how to gauge "readiness," overcome fear of the bathroom, teach how to use toilet paper, flush and wash up, and deal with toileting in unfamiliar environments. A life preserver for parents and reluctant children! Helpful chapters include: The Importance of Toilet Training Determining Readiness Developing a Toileting Routine Communicating the Need to Use the Toilet Toileting in Unfamiliar Environments Nighttime Training Common Problems (and Solutions) Associated with Toilet Training Persons with Autism

Meditation is an effective, life-long practice that can help people with Asperger Syndrome to steer their own life course and improve wellbeing. This useful guide provides Aspies with a clear explanation of how to reap the benefits of welcoming meditation practices into their lives. In addition to its great value as a relaxation technique, meditation can positively influence emotions, curb anxiety and meltdowns, and promote self-esteem and self-awareness. This book discusses why common Aspie character traits such as dedication and introversion make people with Asperger Syndrome particularly well suited to practicing meditation and offers guidance on choosing the right type of meditation to suit each individual's needs. With useful advice on how to begin, where to meditate, what to wear, and much more, the book shows that meditation can be a powerful everyday technique for personal development and self-discovery.