Social Skills for Teenagers and Adults with Asperger Syndrome: A Practical Guide to Day-to-day Life [Paperback]

Nancy J. Patrick (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 15, 2008

This resource provides practical strategies for helping teenagers and adults with Asperger Syndrome to navigate social skills, friendships and relationships at home and in the community.

The author offers advice and useful strategies for tackling day-to-day problems such as visits to the dentist or the doctor, searching for a job, sorting out personal finances, going on vacation, and dealing with public transport, as well as more intimate topics such as dating and acquiring and maintaining friendships. The chapters are structured around real-life scenarios and the challenges they present, followed by step-by-step solutions and suggestions. A final section provides a set of practical self-help tools, which encourage the reader to note down answers to the questions posed and record personal reflections.

This accessible guide will be essential reading for teenagers and adults with Asperger Syndrome and their families, teachers, therapists, counsellors, carers, social and health work professionals.

Editorial Reviews

Review

There are not many books out there that provide the necessary background information and specific strategies needed to address social interactions in practical ways as provided in Social Skills for Teens and Adults with Asperger Syndrome. As a parent of teen with Asperger Syndrome, my wife and I have tried many of the suggestions described in the book and found them very helpful. Nancy Patrick provides information about why such strategies work, and this has been very informative. It can help parents develop yet other strategies. I highly recommend the book for any individual, parent, professional, or carer. --- Dion Betts, Ed.D. is Assistant to the Superintendent for Instructional Support at South Western School District in Hanover, PA.

About the Author

Nancy J. Patrick is Assistant Professor of special education at Messiah College, Grantham, Pennsylvania. She is an author, teacher, writer and presenter. She lives near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, with her husband and their three children, one of whom has a disability. She is the co-author of Hints and Tips for Helping Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Useful Strategies for Home, School and the Community, also published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Pub; 1 edition (August 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1843108763
• ISBN-13: 978-1843108764
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 0.4 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #103,962 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Nancy J. Patrick, Ph.D. (1955- ) was born in Washington D.C. and grew-up in Rockville, Maryland just outside the beltway. After 30 years of preparation and experience she can rightfully say that she meets the criteria to be her own child's Multidisciplinary Team. She has worked as a social worker, special educator, behavior specialist, infant development specialist, school psychologist, autism specialist, psychologist, school psychologist, public school administrator, play therapist, researcher, conference presenter, author and college professor. Her unique and extensive background have prepared her well to address issues of disabilities in childhood and adolescence. Her book Social Skills for Teenagers and Adults with Asperger Syndrome: A Practical Guide is selling well on five continents.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars "GOD I WISH I HAD THAT BOOK SOONER" June 27, 2011

By I. Murray

Format:Paperback

I literally just closed this book, and after giving my mother a recap of the book as well as what it taught me..followed by the exclamation, "GOD I WISH I HAD THAT BOOK SOONER." I checked this book out from the library but I'm ordering it once I finish this review. Not only is it jam-packed full of fabulous advice for a (recently-diagnosed) Aspergian, but it has a great not-so-little section at the end with more resources to help you evaluate where you are socially and to help monitor your daily life to make the most of the best of Asperger Syndrome! (There's also a glossary which is helpful).

The book addresses different topics but throughout it the author accomplishes the teaching of social skills beautifully providing a concept followed by (and I quote):
1) a definition of the concept
2) a list of the salient features
3) positive examples
4) negative examples
5) a prototype
6) opportunities to sort and identify positive and negative examples
7) opportunities to practice in a role-play/scripted situation

"And so much more!"

But seriously if I had had this book 18 years ago (I'm 22) I would have had a totally different life...ok I would have had friends growing up and it would have made my life easier!(**Side note, I've always known I was different, diagnosed ADD age 4, OCD and NVLD age 8)

But it is never too late, or too early, to learn!!!

You will read this book over and over and use the "Journal" portion in the back constantly.

I promise you it will become a favorite, dog-eared reference book on your shelf that you will pull out from time to time once you master the skills (which I still need to do).

-Avid Reader and Aspergian
Isabelle

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellant Resource for Everyone June 2, 2010

By L. Yacovelli

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book must have been written with us in mind. It confirmed things we guessed at and even pointed out things we didn't know were a result of our daughter's AS. I wish we had this book a couple years ago as a guide for making it through high school, but she has it now for college. The explanations read a bit wordy but the checklists/bulleted lists after each part make for a handy reference.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars May revise later (if that's allowed)...... February 25, 2011

By Wendy Wozniak

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I downloaded a sample of this book for my Kindle and was immediately impressed. I would have given this book "5 stars" but since I haven't finished it yet I didn't want to get ahead of myself. My A.S. child wasn't diagnosed until 4th grade so I didn't have the benefit of early therapy for him so now that he's endured middle school (don't know how ANY of us survived middle school!) and he's on to high school, I'm having to try to resolve some of the issues myself and this book seems directed toward the exact issues I'm going to encounter. So far it seems like it is going to at least give me some guidance or at least steer me in the direction I'm going to need to head in to find the help for my child. At least check out the sample. Warning: some of the first few pages are just factoids about what A.S. is, who it's named after, etc. but once you get past that, I think you will find it helpful. Also, I think that getting a head start with this information would be of great benefit. It will at least give you a bit of a "head's up" as to what you will be facing and so I don't think your A.S. child needs to be a teenager to get some great advice from this book.