The OASIS Guide to Asperger Syndrome: Completely Revised and Updated: Advice, Support, Insight, and Inspiration (Hardcover)

~ (Author), (Author), Simon Baron-Cohen (Author), Tony Attwood (Author) "BEHIND every diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome there is usually a story..." (more)
Key Phrases: Social Stories, Recommended Resources, Social Story (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

When Bashe, a certified special education teacher, and Kirby, founder and moderator of OASIS (a popular Asperger Syndrome Web site with support message boards), published the previous edition of this book in 2001, parents of children with the pervasive development disorder flocked to it. The authors now offer this updated edition of the definitive resource, explaining what is currently known about the nature of Asperger Syndrome from the viewpoint of doctors and families. In understandable language, Bashe and Kirby provide instructions for parents on how to gain access to information, support and treatment for their child, covering the most up-to-date options available as well as advice on new medications and special education. Later, they look at aspects of the "whole child," offering suggestions for parents on helping their son or daughter manage their social and emotional worlds, life at school and general growing-up issues. Bashe and Kirby acknowledge that every AS child is different, but with the help of numerous anecdotes from parents of AS children, they manage to provide a wide-ranging, indispensable guide. (On sale Mar. 29)
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Review

“A godsend to the increasing number of families who have a child recently diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome (AS). They will get sympathetic and sound practical advice for the difficulties they are facing, whether it is in coming to terms with the diagnosis or in choosing the right kind of education and therapy. Two heroic mothers, Kirby and Bashe, have made it their business to find out what AS is really like and what it entails in practice. They show by example that it is possible to meet the challenges of a child with unusual skills as well as problems. Above all, they show the way in which AS can enrich our lives.” —Uta Frith, professor of cognitive development, University of London, and deputy director of the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, and author of Autism and Asperger Syndrome

“Well beyond merely identifying and defining AS, the authors provide dozens of field-tested strategies that can be used at home, in the classroom, and in the community. . . . Bashe and Kirby offer reliable counsel on topics related to diagnosis, treatment, assessment, and placement. If you share your home or classroom with a child with Asperger Syndrome, buy this book.” —Richard D. Lavoie, visiting professor, Simmons College, and executive producer of How Difficult Can This Be? The F.A.T. City Workshop

“The OASIS Web site has been a light of hope for individuals with Asperger Syndrome, their families, and advocates. Kirby pioneered ways of transforming the Internet into an accessible tool to help those who needed reputable information and practical guidelines on social disabilities. Her groundbreaking ways continue in this collaboration with Bashe, now in its second edition. . . . Inspired and informed by their professional background and by their uniquely intimate perspective on parenting children with AS, the two compiled a treasure of essential solutions to anyone who, like them, experiences the joys and challenges of nurturing the talents and addressing the needs of these very special individuals.” —Ami Klin, Ph.D., Harris Associate Professor of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, Yale Child Study Center

“The complexities and treatment needs of the person with Asperger Syndrome(AS) are described far better in this comprehensive book than any other book on the subject. Virtually any topic that relates to helping the child with AS is discussed. . . . The reader can explore the emotional impact of this diagnosis on the family while also gaining insight into specific treatment strategies that can be used both by professionals and parents. This is an excellent and uplifting must-read for all parents and professionals trying to come to terms with their child or student who is ‘bright but clueless.’” —Michelle Garcia Winner, M.A., S.L.P.-C.C.C., director, the Center for Social Thinking

“Just when I decided that The OASIS Guide was the ultimate ‘go to’ book for AS, the authors made it even better! The completely revised and updated OASIS Guide yields another nugget of wisdom every time I pick it up. Whether the reader is new to AS, needing ideas about an emerging problem, or facing the next developmental stage, The OASIS Guide offers readable, practical advice. I’ll recommend it enthusiastically and often.” —Teresa Bolick, Ph.D., author of Asperger Syndrome and Adolescence: Helping Preteens and Teens Get Ready for the Real World and Asperger Syndrome and Young Children: Building Skills for the Real World

“To improve on the remarkable is an achievement few accomplish. With the revised edition of The OASIS Guide to Asperger Syndrome, Patricia Romanowski Bashe and Barbara Kirby have created an even more essential resource for parents and professionals. At once comprehensive and easy-to navigate, the revised OASIS Guide will offer parents, teachers, and other professionals a wealth of information in a compassionate voice by parents who have been there. Every parent of a child with Asperger Syndrome, and every teacher working with these students, should own this book.” —Michael D. Powers, Psy.D., Center for Children with Special Needs, Yale Child Study Center, and author of Asperger Syndrome and Your Child: A Parent’s Guide

“A wonderful book—this volume will be an invaluable guide for parents and teachers.” —Fred R. Volkmar, M.D., professor of child psychiatry, psychology, and pediatrics, Yale Child Study Center

“The OASIS Guide is a welcome addition to the growing body of literature on AS. This easy-to-read resource will provide readers with much-needed information on a broad array of topics.” —Diane Adreon, associate director, University of Miami Center for Autism and Related Disabilities

“OASIS has long been a tremendous resource for family members and professionals. The authors have thoughtfully organized a massive amount of critical information into a comprehensive and valuable guide. Every family and professional should have a copy of this book.” —Dr. Cathy Pratt, board of directors, Autism Society of America

“Barbara L. Kirby and Patricia Romanowski Bashe have provided the community of Asperger Syndrome with more than a rainbow’s end of gold. They’ve opened a treasure chest brimming with understanding and support.” —Liane Holliday Willey, Ed.D., author of Pretending to Be Normal: Living with Asperger’s Syndrome and Asperger Syndrome in the Family: Redefining Normal

“If someone were to ask me to suggest the most useful resource about AS, I would not hesitate for an instant: The OASIS Guide to Asperger Syndrome. This is a must-read book for parents, educators, and individuals with AS alike.” —Brenda Smith Myles, Ph.D., author of Asperger Syndrome and Difficult Moments: Practical Solutions for Tantrums, Rage, and Meltdowns

“This inspiring book offers sound advice, comforting support, and remarkable insights with clarity of purpose, profound honesty, and depth of meaning. It’s destined to become a classic in its genre.” —Diane Twachtman-Cullen, Ph.D., executive director, Autism and Developmental Disabilities Consultation Center

“Rarely does one find such a wealth of quality information all between the same two covers. This book has important work to do, and it is more than up to the task.” —Carol Gray, director, Gray Center for Social Learning and Understanding

“Incredible! The OASIS Guide to Asperger Syndrome contains tremendous advice, tips, and practical solutions to manage the confusion of special ed and Asperger Syndrome. The new parent and seasoned veteran should read the guide cover to cover. It is excellent.” —Peter W. D. Wright, Esq., coauthor of Wrightslaw: Special Education Law and owner of wrightslaw.com

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 512 pages
• Publisher: Crown; Rev Upd edition (March 29, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1400081521
• ISBN-13: 978-1400081523
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #23,162 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars OASIS GUIDE to Asperger Syndrome is OUR OASIS, April 7, 2005

By	E. Tucker (Charlottesville, VA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

From the time that my son was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome, at the age of 3 ½, our family knew that the idyllic life we had anticipated, would never be. At that time, in 1998, there wasn't a lot written about Asperser's Syndrome. Fortunately, I was just becoming a little more knowledgeable about the internet and quickly found my way to OASIS, the Online Asperger Syndrome Information and Support network.

Barb Kirby was there from my first day to help smooth the pathways for other families as no one was really there to help smooth her way. She soon found Patty Romanowski Bashe and together they have created the complete guide to help families through the maze of diagnoses, acronyms, treatments, diets, and educational interventions applicable to those with Asperger's Syndrome, with the publishing of the OASIS Guide to Asperger Syndrome.

Because of Barb's reputation, as soon as I saw this book, I knew that it would be thorough. What I didn't realize is how easy it would be to pick the book up and turn to any page and find information that would prove to be helpful to parents and other family members dealing with the overwhelming issues related to having a child on the autism spectrum.

It is difficult to point to which section of the book is most helpful, because at different times, the various chapters have guided me to my child. At various times, I thought "Why me....why did this happen to ME?" But as this book states, "... the person who is working the hardest in all of this is ....your child". Easy to forget with my parental self-pitying. After I read that, I began to stop feeling sorry for myself and instead began thinking of myself as a "team member". From then, we could begin to regain some of our hopefulness and took on the challenge as a family team goal.

This new edition has been brought up-to-date to include some of the newer ideas, research and treatments related to Asperger's Syndrome. They include various treatments, medications and discussions of a range of products available to families like ours that are desperately seeking the magic bullet for our child (there are none unfortunately).

However what Barb and Patty have given us with this, is what I consider, the COMPLETE manual for all things related to Asperger's Syndrome; it is the bright ray of optimism that although there are certainly many difficult times ahead, there is also a lot of hope. There are many of us parents and professionals that Barb has brought together under the OASIS umbrella and are working arm in arm to find out more and share those successes with others.

Thank you for the NEW "OASIS Guide to Asperger Syndrome". I thought the original was as good as it gets, but this one is even better!

~Ellen T

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Review, November 3, 2005

By	Anonymous (Northeastern USA) - See all my reviews

"The OASIS Guide to AS" was our first book on Asperger Syndrome and it's the best overall. We came across the first edition accidently and miraculously about 3.5 years ago, just after our daughter's pediatrician referred her to a specialist. It helped us to quickly transform ourselves from confused parents in denial to advocates for therapy and educational support.

It is very comprehensive and thoughtfully put together in modular form to make it easy to skip things you might not be interested in. (For us, it was medication.) The OASIS Guide often refers to the results of informal parent polls, which give you an idea of just how common a particular presentation is. And the chapter devoted to parents with new DXs is especially comforting and motivating. This is where both authors' first hand experiences of raising children with AS is most evident.

I read both the first edition and this new edition. While both are great, the new edition is updated to include more recent developments in research. One section in particular benefits from this -- the one that describes ABA, or Applied Behavior Analysis. One of the authors (Patty) recently became certified as a special education teacher. Her first-hand expertise with ABA comes through well.

There were certainly other, more specialized books (on sensory integration, for example) that also helped us along the way. But without The Guide, it would've have taken several precious months to learn about them. I'm grateful to Ms. Kirby and Ms. Romanowski Bashe for taking so much time to share their knowledge and experiences with us.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Asperger "Bible", June 23, 2005

By	BayViewBooks "Verna J." (Costa Mesa, Ca United States) - See all my reviews

Of the several I've read, this book is absolutely the most comprehensive and well written available on the subject of Asperger's Syndrome.

Thanks to the foresight and dedication of Barb Kirby in establishing the OASIS website and on-line forum, parents from all over the world are able to come together and compare notes on behavior and strategies, resulting in an enormous knowledge bank to draw from. Along with that, the authors present the combined wisdom of the various "experts" and discuss pros and cons of various treatment options, based primarily on actual experience and outcomes, with plenty of surveys, official statistics, and scientific studies.

I had to laugh out loud early on when the authors state that if nothing else, it is an impressive book to plunk down on the table at school meetings!

What really makes this book different from any other, is that the authors are both also mothers of kids on the spectrum, so you feel connected and understood while reading the book - truly an OASIS for anyone struggling to understand, respect, protect and champion their Aspie kids!