45 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
As a high functioning Aspie..., September 22, 2004
This review is from: Asperger's and Self-Esteem: Insight and Hope through Famous Role Models (Paperback)
This book is very well written and gives a good broad view of Asperger's Syndrome (as opposed to "Classic Autism"). As someone on the Autism Spectrum, knowing that on one side is "Severe Classic Autism" which most people think of when thinking of autism... and on the other end are those like Thomas Jefferson, Albert Einstein, and myself who all have Asperger's Syndrome... shows that the Spectrum is VERY WIDE. I have both a Doctorate of Divinity and a PhD in Psychology. Both are "abstract" and not "scientific" (most "Aspies" tend to be VERY STRONG in the sciences, and of course by definition are VERY DETAIL ORIENTATED). One must clearly differentiate between "Classic Autism" and "Asperger's Syndrome"... those with CA are VERY DIFFERENT than someone with AS...as this book plainly shows, in investigating famous people with the particular form of Autism on the Autism Spectrum known as Asperger's Syndrome. I also recommend Notm Ledgin's "Diagnosing Jefferson" (ISBN: 1-88-5477-60-0), which is also published by Future Horizons... which like this book discusses a famous person with Asperger's Syndrome, but since it is on a single subject, it goes into MUCH MORE DETAIL in showing the very strong Asperger's traits that the third President of the United States of America had. This shows how someone with high functioning Asperger's Syndrome can function, even as the author of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of American... and even as President of the United States. So families with children with Asperger's Syndrome and those with Asperger's Syndrome can find much hope and information in these two books.
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39 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Rebuttal to last review..., September 12, 2004
This review is from: Asperger's and Self-Esteem: Insight and Hope through Famous Role Models (Paperback)
I'm very sorry that the autistic person who wrote the last review feels this book is misleading. His information about Einstein's brain is, first of all, erronious. To quote the BBC: "Scientists at McMaster University, Ontario, Canada compared the shape and size Einstein's brain with those of 35 men and 56 women with average intelligence.
They think their findings may well explain his genius for mathematical and spatial thinking.
In general, Einstein's brain was the same as all the others except in one particular area - the region responsible for mathematical thought and the ability to think in terms of space and movement. Extensive development of this region meant that Einstein's brain was 15% wider than the other brains studied.
Uniquely, Einstein's brain also lacked a groove that normally runs through part of this area. The researchers suggest that its absence may have allowed the neurons to communicate much more easily."
Anyone who has read a thorough account of Einstein's childhood and later life can attest that the evidence is overwhelming that this man was indeed autistic. Not all autistic children start out talking and then stop, as the reviewer stated. That is only true in what is known as "Regressive autism" or "Autism syndrome", not classical autism as defined by Kanner in the 1940's. The fact that Einstein had friends is a testament to his brilliance and contributions to science -- not to a lack of autism. The truth is that Einstein had a miserable, friendless childhood; was considered extremely odd by his peers, and, at first, to be "an imbecile" by teachers.
People with high-functioning autism and Asperger's can and do get married all the time. I am married to a man with (previously undiagnosed) Asperger's. He is an engineer. One of my best friends is also married to a man with Asperger's. He is a CPA. My six-year-old son is high-functioning autistic, and though it has taken a great deal of time and effort, he is a brilliant child who is blossoming into a wonderful, lively little boy who is finally starting to make friends. Donna Williams is a very creative and successful autistic person who is married.
I can think of several other contemporary examples of successful autistic people. Temple Grandin, Raun Kaufman, Stephen Shore, and twins Stephen and Phillip Morgan come to mind.
I don't discount the pain that people with HFA and Asperger's Syndrome experience. In fact, as the mother of an autistic child, I greatly sympathize with and respect it. Every one of those people I listed experienced it. But there is the issue of positive attitude and perseverance. Those people had it. Norm Ledgin's book is attempting to help autistic people with that. If you don't want to listen, fine, but please don't impede others who are looking for hope and insight on how to achieve a happy, fulfilling life.
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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Illuminating, January 28, 2006
This review is from: Asperger's and Self-Esteem: Insight and Hope through Famous Role Models (Paperback)
Well written, absorbing, sensible and much needed. Mr Ledgin examines the possibility that some of histories most loved and respected artists, musicians, and scientists may well have been on the autistic spectrum, and quite possibly achieved what they did not just despite their differences but perhaps even because of them.
This book is not so much an attempt to diagnose famous historical figures as a sincere look at what traits these people had in common with the autistic spectrum, the objective being to remind those who receive this diagnosis, their families and their schools, that having difficulties with some things doesn't mean you lack potential or talent. There are drawbacks to this approach, but if you find yourself curious then you will probably find this easy read both enjoyable and interesting.
Since this book was published there have been many copy cats, so despite the controversy and criticism it seems to have become quite a legitimate practice to speculate over the possibility of famously talented but troubled individuals having been autistic. I think it is a sign of the general prejudice toward autistic people that so many people are disgusted by the suggestion and of the general ignorance about autism that so many people laugh at the suggestion.
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