Alone Together: Making an Asperger Marriage Work [Paperback]

Katrin Bentley (Author), Tony Attwood (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2007

Communication is one of the biggest challenges faced by people with Asperger's Syndrome (AS), yet an Asperger marriage requires communication more than any other relationship. Thousands of people live in Asperger marriages without knowing the answers to important questions such as 'What behaviours indicate that my spouse has AS?' 'Is it worthwhile to get a diagnosis?' 'Is there hope for improvement?' Katrin Bentley has been married for 18 years. Since receiving her husband's diagnosis of AS, their marriage has improved substantially. They learnt to accept each other's different approaches to life and found ways to overcome problems and misunderstandings. Today, they are happily married and able to communicate effectively. "Alone Together" shares the struggle of one couple to rescue their marriage. It is uplifting and humorous, and includes plenty of tips to making an Asperger marriage succeed. This book offers couples hope, encouragement and strategies for their own marriages.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Katrin Bentley was born in Switzerland but now lives in Queensland, Australia, with her husband, Gavin, who has Asperger's Syndrome. Katrin volunteers at Asperger Services Australia. She is also a qualified primary school teacher and fitness instructor.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers; 1 edition (June 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1843105373
• ISBN-13: 978-1843105374
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #32,277 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lifesaver / Marriage Saver, April 7, 2008

By 

lwinberr (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alone Together: Making an Asperger Marriage Work (Paperback)

I am married to an Aspie. I've read many books on this subject. So far, this one is helping *me* with my marriage. The other books helped me to understand the Aspie, but this one is helping me with my reactions to him. This book is written in layman's terms, and in story form which makes it easy for me to understand. I recommend this book highly.

53 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An answer for the unexplainable, November 27, 2007

By 

Dawn Martin (Colorado) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Alone Together: Making an Asperger Marriage Work (Paperback)

When I first found this book at the library, my husband and I were first starting to look into Asperger's because we thought my son and husband might have it. Life kept me from reading this as soon as I would have liked, but once I did it was like having one a ha moment after another. Not only did it help confirm that AS is something my husband and son have, but myself as well.

Katrin Bentley writes from her own experience of living with a husband with AS. She offers a real and honest perspective of what her marriage has been like, and "gives strategies and hints on how to improve" your relationship with someone with AS. I love what she says in the first couple of pages, "Once we discovered AS was the cause of our endless misunderstandings we were able to come to terms with a different way of thinking". Misunderstood is how someone with Asperger's feels, and those married to people with AS must face many frustrations of not understanding why their spouse is the way they are. So, coming to a new way of thinking is about the best answer.

Katrin addresses so many different points about being AS, and married to someone who has it that it would take quite a while to mention them all. The most valuable thing that came from this book is it opened a door of communication and understanding between my husband and myself. I read portions to him that I thought we both related to, and we would have long talks about it.

I appreciate that Katrin does not bash someone with AS, but lovingly explains things, She is not an expert, but more of a friend and mentor. I would read anything else she wrote about AS.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truthful but kind, May 24, 2008

By 

Truth Seeker (Fishers, IN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alone Together: Making an Asperger Marriage Work (Paperback)

The author does an excellent job of communicating the difficulty of an AS marriage. The title is wonderful and says it all. She does a good job of explaining the frustrations of everyday life, but is very kind and understanding when speaking of her husband even when he is verbally abusive to her. There was somehow a comfort in reading about the feelings and frustrations that I experience daily. It was like I have a friend who understands completely what I am going through and is sharing her similar story with me. I highly recommend the book.