Help for the Child with Asperger's Syndrome: A Parent's Guide to Negotiating the Social Service Maze [Paperback]

Gretchen Mertz (Author), Tony Attwood (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 29, 2004

Parents of children diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome frequently find themselves embarking on an exhausting and disheartening hunt for the services and interventions that their child needs - and is entitled to. Gretchen Mertz presents a readable and comprehensive parent's guide to developing an intervention program for a child with AS. Beginning with the search for a diagnosis, she outlines an accessible overview of the helpful and appropriate services that are available, how to find them and get funding for them, what to expect of them, and how to evaluate them. The issues raised and the information given will be pertinent to any parent of a child that has (or may have) AS. It will also be an invaluable resource for social workers, psychologists and psychiatrists who wish to find or offer appropriate support for children with Asperger's Syndrome.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Gretchen Mertz has a son with Asperger's Syndrome. She researched many of the legal and medical issues surrounding this condition to deal with government officials, school administrators, insurance company representatives and medical and therapeutic professionals to create and implement an appropriate program for her son. Her professional experience includes working as an educator and a legal assistant. She lives with her husband and two children in Philadelphia, where she works all day and writes all night.

Product Details

• Paperback: 238 pages
• Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Pub; 1 edition (September 29, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1843107805
• ISBN-13: 978-1843107804
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,103,268 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Help for the Child with Asperger's Syndrome, December 31, 2008

By 

Susan W. Hedden (Philadelphia, PA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Help for the Child with Asperger's Syndrome: A Parent's Guide to Negotiating the Social Service Maze (Paperback)

Help for the Child with Asperger's Syndrome by Gretchen Mertz, is well written and researched by the mother of a child with Aspergers. Her journey was one of trial and error, and finally victory with a system that has just recently been willing and able to deal with the many faces of Asperger's. The author was led to a better understanding of the system that is now in place. She gives her sage advice on techniques that help others negotiate the services that address the particular needs of their child. There are uplifting and positive outcomes just waiting to be realized. Her book gives hope to parents. I also liked the way she placed the services in their historic context. It shows how far we have come and the many obstacles that are still in place. Gretchen Mertz has done a brilliant job of navigating through very rough waters. I would recommend this book to anyone whose life has been touched by Asperger's Syndrome.

Susan Hedden