Asperger Syndrome and Your Child: A Parent's Guide [Paperback]

Michael D. Powers (Author), Janet Poland (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 23, 2003

Asperger's Syndrome and Your Child, an informative, empathetic, and comprehensive guide to this elusive condition, answers the most common questions and offers an encouraging outlook for your child's future. Dr. Michael Powers weaves together a compassionate account of everything related to AS, offering such practical advice from getting the right diagnosis to helping your child develop social skills. Infused with voices of real children who offer insights about their own conditions, the book gives perspective on how children live with the disorder. Asperger Syndrome and Your Child is an indispensable book for parents as well as teachers and other professionals who have someone with Asperger Syndrome in their lives.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Powers, an assistant professor at the Yale Child Study Center and director of the Center for Children with Special Needs in Connecticut, teams up with co-author Poland (The Sensitive Child) to offer a much-needed resource for parents and professionals looking to understand more about Asperger Syndrome. A neurological disorder characterized by difficulty with social interactions, communication issues, unusual patterns of behavior and interests as well as trouble integrating sensory information (children with AS often have acute senses of touch, taste and hearing), AS is part of the "autism spectrum" of disabilities. Part I of Powers's clearly written and reassuring text discusses the syndrome in general-what we know about it, what it feels like to have it-while Part II goes into greater detail about what parents can do to nurture AS children to help them "become their finest selves." Unlike people with autism, those with AS can communicate what life is like for them, and Powers includes their reflections along with case studies, FAQs and an abundance of caring and wise advice. For new parents of children with AS, this is an essential volume.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Michael D. Powers, Psy.D., is the director of the Center for Children with Special Needs in Tolland, Connecticut, and assistant clinical professor of psychology at the Yale Child Study Center. He has published numerous book chapters and articles in professional journals and is the editor of the award-winning book Children with Autism: A Parent’s Guide. He lives in northeastern Connecticut with his wife, Kristen, and their three sons.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (September 23, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060934883
• ISBN-13: 978-0060934880
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,038,683 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just received the AS diagnosis? You need this book., October 11, 2002

By 

JOYS OF LIVING (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Asperger Syndrome and Your Child: A Parent's Guide (Hardcover)

Do you have a son or daughter recently diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome (AS)? If so, then buy this book now. I wish this book had been available four years ago when our son was diagnosed with AS. I searched for every book available to understand AS, and if this had been available then, what a treasure it would have been to find. Now that it is published, I feel that everyone who advocates for a son or daughter with AS should buy and use the insights this book has to offer. There are many. Written by an expert familiar with AS, the style gives enough technical information while still being easy to read. There are parts you will laugh outloud reading, recognizing the similarities to your own child. You will learn about the great diversity in symptoms that kids with AS can experience, and those that they share with most of their peers. Worried about the future success of your child, family issues, school performance? There's are entire chapters on these issues and more. There's a helpful "Question and Answer" section in the back of the book, and one of the best sections is the Resources, that you can access to learn more. I have bought several copies of this excellent book- for my wife and me, my parents, for our son's school, his para, and some of our friends- so that they will have a comprehensive and excellent resource to draw upon when the question arises, "What's Asperger Syndrome? How can we help (insert your son's or daughter's name here)?"

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clear, compassionate, and thorough guide., January 25, 2004

By 

E. Bukowsky "booklover10" (NY United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Asperger Syndrome and Your Child: A Parent's Guide (Paperback)

Michael D. Powers has written an invaluable guide for parents of children diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome. "Asperger Syndrome and Your Child" is a comprehensive manual that covers such topics as how to get an accurate diagnosis, how to integrate your child into the community, how to cope with school, and how to deal with communication and social issues. Dr. Powers also delineates ways in which parents can help children with AS during the difficult transition to adolescence and, later, to adulthood.

Dr. Powers clearly states what AS is and how it affects both the children that have it and their families. He also explains how AS manifests itself in such areas as impaired social interaction, repetitive behavior, and difficulty in communicating with others. Most important, the author outlines the many ways that AS children and their families can make the most out of a challenging situation. Dr. Powers makes liberal use of interesting and relevant anecdotes from real children with AS.

Dr. Powers accentuates the positive at all times. He emphasizes that with early intervention and ample support, individuals with AS can live productive and satisfying lives. This is a hopeful and upbeat book with practical and detailed advice for anyone who wants to learn more about living successfully with AS.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars VERY GOOD and EXTREMELY HELPFUL BOOK!, August 30, 2004

By 

Troy Sorrell "CaliAspie" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Asperger Syndrome and Your Child: A Parent's Guide (Paperback)

I am an adult "aspie" living in Los Angeles, CA. I was never diagnosed with AS until I finally moved to California. I always knew that I was different than my peers, but never knew why. I had great difficulty making friends growing up too. I was always being regarded as being freak", "retard", "negative" ect. I read this book and will recommend any parent who has a child with AS, READ THIS BOOK and share it with others you know or are close to. I also recommend that you give the educational hints to your child's teacher. I had to suffer growing up and I learned by my own mistakes, but it was HELL! I wish that I had learned that I had Asperger's Syndrome when I was much younger. It's really a shame that there are critics who think that people make up this condition. It's real folks, and I'm living proof that it exists. I lived in South Texas where they think the only disabilities are the kind that are the most severe. They don't believe that a person with a college degree can have autism.