Customer Reviews

Finding Out About Asperger's Syndrome, High-Functioning Autism and Pdd

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This book is meant to be read by children who have Asperger's syndrome or high functioning autism and is the best. My eleven year old son who has Asperger's enjoyed reading it tremendously and said he would re-read it. I've bought him other books on explaining his diagnosis but they have been rather negative in one way or another and I have been unable to give them to him. Not this one - it is very positive and reassuring. A couple of the other reviwers obviously misunderstood the purpose of this book - it is for children only.

I read this book to my 10 year old who responded "Mom? Did you tell her about me?" Gunilla Gerland writes in simple terms, gives simple examples and simple explanations for a very confusing diagnosis. Her message is clear: "We are different, but that's not a bad thing and it's not a reason to feel bad about ourselves or to let other people make us feel bad about ourselves. Being different can be a very good thing!"

While I won't say it's a perfect book, it's definately warmly written and has a reassuring feel for a child who has just been told they have Aspergers Syndrome.

As a special education teacher, I am always looking for ways to teach my aides and regular education teachers about different disabilities and to help them understand that each mind works differently. This book is short, concise, very simply stated and yet is packed with amazing information that anyone can understand. I shared it with several people who knew little of Auspergers, Autism, and PDD and they were all extremely grateful for the information and walked away understanding better. The book breaks down what life may be like for someone with A.S., Autism, or PDD regarding sensory interpretations, eye contact, etc. and is organized to give a complete understanding without overwhelming one with too much information. We are buying several more copies for our school district!!

Upon arrival of this book(let) I was confused....did I actually order this? It seemed to be a small primer for young children by it's simplistic text and odd illustrations. In order to make this a 46 page book the numbering of pages began with the first sheet of paper in the publication, including publishing information, contents page. It was quite a strech to call this a book and not a pamphlet. I cannot recommend this book for parents looking for answers or help on the subject, it is too broad and vague. It may be a good book for a sibling in upper grades of elementary or middle school to help them understand a siblings diagnosis however and for that purpose I could recommend reading this book. As with all books I would read it first before passing it to a child to read but for your own edification I would skip this process!

This powerful booklet fills a big void in that it is, as far as I know, the only good children's book about Asperger's syndrome and similar conditions. For a child with AS, it takes the subject out of the atmosphere of shame and mystery, explaining both the positive and the negative sides of the condition using simple, concrete and accurate language, supported by examples and visualizations. This can make a world of difference in terms of self-esteem and self-confidence for such a child, who often feels totally alone in the world, not understanding why s/he is different. For non-autistic children, to whom children with AS are often enigmatic, it goes a long way towards explaining their sibling or friend with AS. The author avoids giving "too much information" so that the text does not exceed a child's attention span. Any child with AS, and any child who lives with a child with AS, should read this booklet.

I loved this book. It was like I was reading a book written by me. The author also has Asperger's, which I have. This book is so incredible, it answers all the questions and problems about the phases that an Asperger's reader may have. Pretty much after each phrase, I said "That's me, that's what I do.". This book is so powerful, I can't think of anything else to write, it just takes the words out of my mouth.

Gunilla Gerland's book is designed for children with high-functioning autism and Asperger's to read as a step to understanding their diagnosis. As far as I know, it is one of the very few books of this type in existence, and it does its job excellently. Blaming it for not being a book for parents seems beside the point.

I did not find this book(let) to be very helpful. It was a sparsely written book that appeared to stretch out the very little information to a few words per page to make it a 46 page book. There was information that could explain the syndrome and associated symptoms to young children but was too simplistic for an adult to gain much aid from. Even the pictures were simple and the combination made the book appear to have beena hurried and poorly planned venture on the part of the author and/or publisher. I cannot recommend this book for a broad overview of AS or High functioning Autism. There was not enough information to make this book a good value.

I wish I would have read the reviews before I purchased this book. I usually do, but I guess it was an impulse purchase. In my quest to find out more information regarding my son's difficulties and diagnoses I am trying to read all I can. The information regarding how many pages this book is should be listed. It is a tiny booklet that is specifically for children or adolescents. It is not at all what I hoped it would be.

This is a wonderful little book, to share between a parent and child with autism, and for adults who need to understand what is happening with the child.