Barb Cook and 14 other autistic women describe life from a female autistic perspective, and present empowering, helpful and supportive insights from their personal experience for fellow autistic women. Michelle Garnett's comments validate and expand the experiences described from a clinician's perspective, and provide extensive recommendations. Autistic advocates including Liane Holliday Willey, Anita Lesko, Jeanette Purkis, Artemisia and Samantha Craft offer their personal guidance on significant issues that particularly affect women, as well as those that are more general to autism. Contributors cover issues including growing up, identity, diversity, parenting, independence and self-care amongst many others. With great contributions from exceptional women, this is a truly well-rounded collection of knowledge and sage advice for any woman with autism.

Life with Asperger Syndrome can be a challenge at the best of times, and trials and tribulations that neurotypicals take in their stride can leave Aspies perplexed and unsure of how to solve problems and keep themselves safe, both physically and emotionally. Liane Holliday Willey explores the daily pitfalls that females with AS may face, and suggests practical and helpful ways of overcoming them. The focus throughout is on keeping safe, and this extends to travel, social awareness, and general life management. With deeply personal accounts from the author's own experiences, this book doesn't shy away from difficult issues such as coping with bullying, self-harm, depression, and eating disorders. The positive and encouraging advice gives those with AS the guidance to safeguard themselves from emotional and physical harm, and live happy and independent lives. This book will be essential reading for all females with Asperger Syndrome, their friends and families, and all professionals whose work brings them into contact with females with AS.

As a parent, a teacher and an Aspie herself, Jennifer O'Toole provides the definitive insider's view of Asperger syndrome. She shows how to help children on the spectrum by understanding how they think and by exploiting their special interests to promote learning. Her strategies work because she thinks like the children that she teaches. This exciting book is full of effective and fun ways of engaging with children with Asperger syndrome. Jennifer explains how theory of mind difficulties create the need for concrete forms of communication, and provides original methods to inspire imagination through sensorial experiences. In particular she reveals the untapped power of special interests, showing how to harness these interests to encourage academic, social and emotional growth. Affirming that different doesn't mean defective, this book offers the insight and guidance that parents, educators, and other professionals need to connect with the Asperkids in their life and get them excited about learning.

Happily married to her husband with Asperger Syndrome for 25 years, Ashley Stanford is an expert on how Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can affect a relationship and her bestselling book has helped thousands of couples. Brought fully up to date, this second edition clarifies the new DSM-5 diagnostic criteria and explains how, without a solid awareness of the condition, ASD behaviors can easily be misinterpreted. Stanford's book provides a wealth of strategies for living with the more uncompromising aspects of ASD, pointing out that ASD also brings enormous strengths to a relationship. It shows how understanding the intentions, motivations and reasoning behind ASD behaviors can lead to better communication, relief of tension, and ultimately to a happier, more mutually fulfilling relationship.

Adolescence has been known as the "second crisis" for some families. Successful navigation of this emotionally complex time can be difficult, and for girls with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) the teenage years can be particularly challenging, as there are issues specific to them that have been very sparsely addressed in current resources, such as menstruation, puberty, safety and the complications of girls' friendships due to fears of loneliness and the lack of group inclusion. This book is the first resource for families to provide the key information they need to know to help their daughters ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? and the whole family ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? through adolescence. It puts topics into the context of typical development and addresses core issues of ASDs such as cognition, communication, behavior, sensory sensitivities and social difficulties, and provides information, practical teaching, intervention strategies and resources regarding topics specific to being a teenage girl with ASD.

Compelling and witty, Liane Holliday Willey's account of growing to adulthood as an undiagnosed 'Aspie' has been read by thousands of people on and off the autism spectrum since it was first published in 1999. Bringing her story up to date, including her diagnosis as an adult, and reflecting on the changes in attitude over 15 years, this expanded edition will continue to entertain (and inform) all those who would like to know a little more about how it feels to spend your life `pretending to be normal'.

Coming Out Asperger explores the complexity of diagnosis for Asperger Syndrome, the drawbacks and benefits of disclosing a diagnosis of a "hidden disability," and how this impinges on self-esteem. The contributors include some of the best-known and most exciting writers in the field of Asperger Syndrome (AS) today, and include individuals on the autism spectrum, parents and professionals. The broad range of the chapters, which draw on anecdotal, professional and research-based evidence, make this book a comprehensive and highly original consideration of the implications of an AS diagnosis. The ever-difficult question of who to tell and when once a diagnosis has been confirmed is discussed in great depth. Liane Holliday Willey and Stephen Shore examine the dynamics of disclosure, its risks and the possible effect on self-confidence. Jacqui Jackson looks at how a diagnosis impacts upon family life. Tony Attwood provides a clinician's view of diagnosing adults, and Lynne Moxon, Wendy Lawson, Dora Georgiou and Jane Meyerding discuss adult issues surrounding disclosure, including how to deal with relationships and sexuality, and disclosure in the workplace, as well as social and disability issues. A unique and fascinating insight into the important issue of diagnosis disclosure, this book is an essential guide for people with AS, parents, teachers, professionals and all those who have ever felt confused about revealing a personal issue.

A survival guide for teenagers with Asperger Syndrome. With contributions from professionals such as Tony Attwood, as well as from parents and those with Asperger Syndrome, this volume tackles issues that are pertinent to all teenagers, such as sexuality, depression and friendship. It also discusses topics like disclosure and therapeutic alternatives that are more specific to those with Aspergers.

Containing life-changing strategies and solutions, this book will enable everyone who knows, lives with or works with an individual with autism to achieve a positive relationship that fosters cooperation and mutual respect. The author has dedicated over 20 years to studying, observing and implementing communication strategies that help him, his wife, their three children and his clients experience positive relationships. His immediate family are all on the autism spectrum and they work together to understand one another, resolve misunderstandings, and help each other feel important, loved and respected. Sharing their inspirational personal experiences and interweaving every chapter with practical hints and tips, the book looks at how to get communication working for everyone and emphasizes the importance of laying down ground rules and building confidence. This book will be essential reading for family, friends and professionals who wish to communicate more effectively with those on the autism spectrum.

Woven around her first person experiences and scholarly references, is insight on many of the questions and concerns females with AS surely experience at some point in their life...lovely time spent with a friend...a teaching tool for women and their supporters...a read everyone can enjoy on a number of levels. - from the foreword Kristi Hubbard gives summaries of over a decade of intensive research on autism spectrum conditions. She offers insight, advice, encouragement, understanding, solutions and suggestions for girls and women with Asperger's. She found out she had Asperger's Syndrome when she was in graduate school and shares her challenging experiences growing up and in adulthood. She offers insight with her experiences helping children who have autism, and sets forth her search for the truth of what Asperger's really is, where it came from and the discovery of methods to have a happy, joyful and successful life. She also offers insight for caregivers, teachers and any other professional or family member to better understand and help girls with Asperger's. Read this book to learn: Sex differences in Asperger's Early signs detecting Asperger's Insight on more than 21 Asperger's traits How to overcome sensory issues How to overcome social difficulties Tips on making friends and keeping them Solutions on more than 26 common life issues Methods to have a happier family life living with Asperger's Better understanding of the meaning and purpose in life Numerous helpful resources for those with Asperger's How to prevent or decrease the chances of your child from developing Autism

Liane Holliday Willey and one of her daughters both have Asperger Syndrome. In Asperger Syndrome in the Family she 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.

Susan Dunne's life changed forever when a chance question from a doctor led her back to horses, an unfulfilled childhood passion. Detached and isolated due to undiagnosed autism, Susan had already survived rape, battled eating disorders and self-harm, and spent time homeless, when her world was turned upside again by a vicious, life-threatening assault. Severe post-traumatic stress disorder left her feeling distrustful and more cut off than ever before from a world she saw as confusing and dangerous. But as Susan's connection with horses grew stronger, her world started to open up. Poignant and witty by turns, Susan shares her story of survival and transformation, offering a rare insight into her relationship with horses, and how they helped her to find a safe place in the world.

This book is essential reading to understand the social abilities of adults with Asperger's syndrome. The contributors each have different personalities and experiences, but together they provide a range of strategies to encourage people with Asperger's syndrome to achieve the social relationships they desire.' - Professor Tony Attwood Social interaction among neurotypical people is complex and in many ways illogical. To the person with Asperger Syndrome (AS) it is also woefully unintuitive. In this book, adults with AS discuss social relationships, offer advice and support for others with AS and provide necessary insights into AS perspectives for those working and interacting with them. The contributors evaluate a range of social contexts and relationship aspects, including: * online relationships - a worldwide social network based on non-verbal communication, * the unwritten rules of neurotypical socialising, * the need for mutual understanding between those with AS and neurotypicals, * the effects of struggling socially on one's self-esteem and frame of mind, and * the opportunities provided by social skills workshops or interest groups. This is essential reading for adults with AS, their family and friends, as well as service providers and other professionals providing support for people with AS in adult life.