Customer Reviews

Learning and Behavior Problems in Asperger Syndrome

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I read it cover to cover in only a couple sittings (of course, I am hyperlexic...). I was very happy that this book of literature reviews by professionals contained the view of someone on the autistic spectrum (Wendy Lawson), and was immediately able to connect to a lot of what she experienced, since I had similar experiences in my schooling (no accomodations, lots of bullying, and never realizing what was going to happen next or how the other students knew what they were suppossed to do so automatically).

There were several things I was delighted to see, such as the idea several authors had that Asperger's should be removed from the DSM-V (expected publishing date in 2011), and simply be considered autism without major language delay or mental retardation. This has several points of validity - quite frankly, the outcomes for HFA adults and Asperger adults are quite similar, it is frequently impossible to distinguish between the two as adolescents or adults without extensive testing to determine learning style (visual/math/auditory/language being the most common, in approximately that order). No other psychiatric "disorder" in the DSM-IV is separated out by learning style or by the presence or absence of mental retardation, in fact, as one set of reviewers pointed out, the validity of most diagnostic characteristics listed in the DSM-IV rests on the fact that they are valid for people of all levels of intelligence. There is no reason why autism should be the one "disorder" that an exception is made for.

The good thing is that HFA/Asperger and PDD-NOS children are more likely to receive the services they need with a diagnosis of autism. The only possiblity I can see as bad is that fewer children may be diagnosed, due to the simple fact that psychiatrists hate to break the "bad" news to parents. What this requires is the publicization of the fact that many of us are extremely high functioning, articulate, and have special gifts to go along with our inability in socialization and our "odd" looking behavior.

I was diagnosed Asperger's as an adult, but like many Aspies, I technically meet the criteria to be HFA even under the DSM-IV. I have peculiarities in language (pragmatic disorder). The DSM-IV gives very generous recommendations for use of language, with single word use at 2 and communicative phrases at three (how many parents reading this saw both used much younger if you have neurotypical children - I'm guessing most). I used single words at 3 1/3, and communicative phrases at 4 1/2, but I was reading single words at 2 and pointing to the correct one to get what I wanted on a regular basis, and spelling them out with alphabet blocks when I was 2 1/2. (I had a smart father who worked on alternative communication with me.) Dad (also an aspie) was also smart in another way - he got me into kindergarten by claiming I was "shy" and wouldn't speak to any strangers. I didn't speak to my kindergarten teacher (other than phrases such as, "May I please go to the bathroom") until over halfway through the year, and even then it was to have my desire for solitude or an object met. And yes, I was using words such as "solitude" at 5! I had 9th grade reading skills when I entered school, and progressed to 11th grade reading skills by the first grade, while merely plodding along in subjects such as math (which I started falling behind on in grade 6, and to this day, I test out at an 8th grade level in math while my reading and writing skills are post-graduate). One would think this unusual (to say the least) profile and my "selective mutism" would have alerted the school that something odd was up (especially when I spent the recreation period in a tree reading a book, rocking back and forth, and flapping my right arm at odd intervals). But then, in the 80s, if you could speak sensibly, you just COULDN'T be autistic...

Ah well. In general, the book is probably more useful to professionals, and to those who have a research interest in autism/asperger's. The last section is possibly useful to special education instructors, and maybe to some parents, especially those who are trying home schooling techniques.

How fortunate this generation of people with autism are to have a world that is just coming into a better understanding of what having this sensori-neurobiological condition entails. Wendy Lawson, herself on the spectrum provides good personal insights about coping with spectrum issues. Just about everyone with autism can relate to having been the target of bullies and not knowing the Tacit Social Codes & Rules.

HFA and Asperger's have long been debated as being either synonymous or just close manifestations of the same condition. I however am of the school of thought that HFA and Asperger's are NOT the same, but are close spectrum partners. The authors of the new DSM-V which at the time of this review has not been published claim that the revised edition will relabel/reclassify persons with Asperger's as "autistic without retardation or language impairment/delay." I have my own doubts about that.

Asperger's is, I believe a valid diagnosis for many people on the spectrum. As autism/Asperger's (a/A) is a continuum, there will be overlapping behaviors. Many people with Asperger's can pass for neurotypical (NT) to a certain extent, but at times will display behaviors and responses closer to the autism end of the spectrum. One of the chief identifiers of Asperger's is having special interests and a narrow focus of concentration on those special interests. That trait is not necessarily present in those with HFA. It is, however, a criterion for identifying somebody who has Asperger's. Social impairment is par for the course regardless of one's place on the a/A spectrum, but not necessarily cognitive impairment and/or delay.

Having the label of autism and/or PDD does bring with it the assurance of some level of accomodation. However, for the less severely affected, services are all too often withheld and denied. Those with lesser degrees of autism are all too often misdiagnosed. This in turn can lead to improper treatment which is usually quite detrimental.

As somebody who knows all too well about Asperger's, it is time to debunk the myth that people on the spectrum cannot speak sensibly. It is time to retire the savant stereotype as savantism affects < 10% of the autistic population. Many people on the spectrum are highly intelligent.

This book is really aimed at parents and educators and leans towards home schooling. Home schooling is not for everyone, so do read this with an open mind.

The book arrived much faster than I expected. The book was in the condition as described in it's Amazon.com description. Everything was great. Thank you!

This edited book brings together an internationally recognized group of contributors from Australia, Canada, Israel, the United Kingdom, and the United States to address important topics associated with the diagnosis and treatment of Asperger's Disorder (Asperger syndrome). Published in 2003, the volume appears to presage the recent DSM-V Work Group members' proposal of a new category, "autism spectrum disorder," incorporating the current diagnoses of autistic disorder, Asperger's disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS). Indeed, the underlying premise of this text is that Asperger syndrome (or high-functioning autism) is best viewed as a variant of autism and that it represents the upper end of a spectrum of autism-related conditions. Part I of the book includes chapters on topics such as assessment and diagnosis, cognitive and academic problems, language and communication deficits, and treatment of comorbid (coexisting) emotional/behavioral problems. The chapter on the assessment of specific learning problems provides the reader with several case studies to illustrate assessment procedures, analysis, and interpretation. Part II provides a focus on school and educational topics such as classroom interventions, curricular issues, behavior management, social skills, and specific learning problems. A chapter is also included on long-term educational and employment outcomes. In the final chapter, the editor provides the reader with a cogent summary of the topics and issues discussed in each chapter and comments on future educational and research directions. Although a major theme of the book seems to be the ongoing debate regarding AS as a distinct diagnostic entity, "Learning and Behavior Problems in Asperger Syndrome" offers school-based professionals an overview of the important challenges facing students, educators, and families.

Lee A. Wilkinson, PhD, CCBT, NCSP

A Best Practice Guide to Assessment and Intervention for Autism and Asperger Syndrome in Schools

I have a son with Asperger's and he also has Tourette's. I bought this book based on the title as we deal with a lot of behavior and learning issues and I home school him. I was expecting to get some advise and explainations for the problems we deal with but it's just a bunch of research and much of it is repeated from chapter to chapter. I'm very disappointed in this book as it deals very little with learning and behavior. It's just a compilation of many different research papers. I've read plenty of those. I regret buying this book.

I bought this book along with several others at the same time. I just glanced though this book. It is not a easy to read book. Kind of like a text book for college. With a IEP meeting coming up I had to put it on the backburner. Some of the others I got were much easier to read and to give to others to read.