Customer Reviews

All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome

5 star:		(104)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

My library contains dozens of books on AS. I have read them all. I wish I could get others to do the same, but time being what it is and life being as complex as ever, this is simply an impossible wish. I highly recommend this book as *the* book to present to people with little time but much need to learn about AS. It is also a great book to present to children; those on the spectrum and those in the neurotypical population who would all benefit from understanding their peers with AS and other ASD/PDD related issues.
This book is cute and sweet. It is not top-shelf research. It is gentle and gracious. A perfect coffee table book to garnish interest and start discussions. I loved it.

I am a parent with two children who have AS. We found this book at B & N and my son loved it. It described him, his behaviors and it could have just as easily been him in the pictures instead of the cats. I found it to be a very good way to describe some of his behaviors and the feelings he and his sister have. I will be buying it from Amazon (much better price) and plan on sending it to school with him. The one or two people at his school who understand AS will get a kick out of it. Since it is a cute and fun book, maybe some of his teachers will look at it and perhaps start to have an understanding of him and his behaviors. It's a quick, easy and fun read (picture book) which hits the AS behaviors dead on.

This is the best and most concise explanation of Asperger Syndrome that I have ever seen. It is always difficult to tell people just why my child is different. My child often appears disobedient to others and acts inappropriately. This book makes it much easier to explain. It is it a quick read and easy to understand.

I bought this book because my younger son has aspergers and also has a love of cats. As soon as we got this book we sat down and read it. The pictures alone make the book cute. But the dialogue that goes with the pictures were awesome. My son could relate to so many of them. We'd see a picture and the words next to them - "This is sooooo you!" I'd say and we'd smile and laugh. He brought the book to school to show everyone. His one teacher has a son with AS and she borrowed it to show it to him as well. It is such a positive look at AS and presented in such a way that helps people understand the AS kid and know that even with AS he can still do great things.

I was expecting a book with little more detail into Asperger Syndrome with a humorous spin on the subject. This was basically a picture book with different captions for each cute cat photo. It was cute and took all of 5 minutes to page through and read. Mildly entertaining but not very informative.

Ten years ago, when I finally figured out what Asperger's was and, at the same time, I discovered that I had several Asperger's children, and a few Asperger's adults, on my caseload as a psychotherapist, I began searching for easy ways to explain Asperger's. It was, and still is, an uphill struggle.

I'd already found what, to my knowledge, remains one of the best general books on Asperger's Syndrome: Tony Attwood's Asperger's Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals. (A more up-to-date and extensive general book, now, is Attwood's The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome. It's much longer, but still quite readable & it's filled with clear examples.) It's great for adults wanting a clear, solid understanding -- parents, family members, teachers, mental health professionals, scout-leaders, church leaders, and friends of high school reading level & above. Later, Attwood produced some DVDs, Dr. Tony Attwood presents: Asperger's Syndrome, Volume 2, Asperger's Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals with Dr. Tony Attwood, which broadened his outreach. Since then, AS book-publishing has become a cottage industry.

But until I read Kathy Hoopmann's "All Cats Have Asperger's Syndrome", I hadn't found something quick, accurate and easy to read & to understand. Hoopmann makes the common cues of Asperger's Syndrome not only instantly accessible but memorable. Even children can read it, and say, "Oh, yeah! That's Joey!" It's ideal for a fast, simple introduction.

The pictures -- all kittens -- are pure delight! Each one nails its idea. And the book invites re-reading -- it's almost addictively fun. I recommend it highly to those who want a confused grandparent or a modestly curious neighbor to better understand a child who, so often, operates out of a different world, while forced to live in this one.

And if you get them hooked, and they want to know more, then give them Attwood's book or DVDs. After that, you can broaden them with more specialty books -- teens (such as Freaks, Geeks & Asperger Syndrome: A User Guide to Adolescence; Asperger Syndrome and Adolescence: Helping Preteens & Teens Get Ready for the Real World), girls (Asperger's and Girls -- girls/women are a bit different, with only a fifth as many girls as boys with AS), resources (the Oasis on-line site, Tony Attwood's on-line site), etc. There are many good books & on-line resources, with more all the time.

And finally, hopefully, they can begin to see not only the Asperger's Syndrome & what it means/doesn't mean, but they can also see, most important of all: the real child in all his beauty, uniqueness & potential!

By the way, I wouldn't recommend this to explain AS to someone with AS. It's a book of analogies, something someone with AS will have a hard time understanding, and they may take away wrong & negative messages.

I really enjoyed this book. It was cute and had so many facets of my son. I shared it with others who also enjoyed it. It is an easy read which gives information to those who wouldn't read a large book about Asperger's. My 21 yearold AS son even liked it. I acknowledged not all of things stated in the book were him. He told me "most of them are me". For someone wanting in depth information this book won't satisfy you. However, it is a good book to let you know you are not alone.

This book really describes my personal experience with Aspergers Syndrome. Since it is written at a child's level, it may help children who have Aspergers and their friends come to a more tolerant understanding of it. I am going to lend it to some adults I know, maybe they will be more understanding.

Also on top of all this, the photographs of the cats are quite beautiful. They selected some of the prettiest cats I have ever seen for subjects. Recommended for cat lovers also.

A very cute book, the pictures are adorable. This may be helpful for kids (or siblings) who love animals, it may help them make sense of a condition that can be confusing. It encourages the reader to be more sympathetic and compassionate of Asperger's persons, since the kitties are so appealing. However, not all the pictures will correspond to every person with Asperger's, since each case is unique. Also, I have a small problem with the title, since I myself don't really think cats are all that much like Asperger's kids. Asperger's kids really want to socialize and please, and most cats are just fine on their own, quite independent. (And Asperger's kids don't ruin furniture!)The sensory similarites are more accurate, however, with gaze aversion, tactile defensiveness, etc.

I didnt know what to expect when I ordered this book; thought it may be a series of humerous comments. As it happens, Kathy Hoopman as created an attractive, thought provoking and emotion stirring little story.
Enlisting the help of dozens of gorgeous cats and kittens, the author tells the tale of a child with Aspergers, in simple sentence-plus-picture format. Her careful choice of image, cleverly illustrates each point she makes, leading the reader on a journey of understanding, hopefully leading to greater tolerance and compassion for our fellow man.
Our child's teacher read it in a class of 9 year olds to help them all understand why some of us are different and yet perfectly OK!