Customer Reviews

I Am Utterly Unique: Celebrating the Strengths of Children with Asperger Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is the kind of book that deserves a place of honor. I want more books like this.

All too many cooks try to spoil the broth, in this case neurotypicals (NT) trying to "repair" people on the autism/Asperger's (a/A) spectrum. What is so terrible about being on the spectrum? Granted, the social difficulties are the worst part of it. When you consider the original way of thinking and the wonderful gifts of abstraction, then why try to force people with autism to fit a Procrustean bed of complied responses to appease the NT population? The world is for everybody and not just the NT population and this book does an exemplary job of stressing this point.

I love the way this book emphasizes the originality people with autism have; I love the way this author appears to be totally accepting and not trying to fix anyone.

The Byrds' 1965 classic, "All I Really Want to Do" seems so a propos; the lyrics "I ain't looking for you to see like me, feel like me or be like me." How about applying that fair minded approach to the a/A world? Instead of making people with autism continue trying to appease the NT world, just accept that there is no need to make others "see like, feel like or be like" what and who they are not.

This book is not limited to children; many adults will love it, especially those on the spectrum and/or those who have children who are on the spectrum. It makes me want to do a parody of the dreadfully inane "If You're Happy And You Know It" which I have never liked, by saying, "If You're Autistic And You Know It, Celebrate!" That's right, celebrate! Do an individual dance and just be true to yourself. Beat on a different drum and play a unique and individual tune.

Being able to give one's honest opinion instead of echoing the prevailing sentiment to appease others ("giving the desired response," as Donna Williams so aptly says in her books about autism) is empowering; it is the key to self respect.

I wish I had this book when I was a child. It is a giant step towards teaching acceptance and in enjoying one's own individual quirks; perks and creativity.

Our family finds this book incredibly touching and engaging. So often when we discuss kids with Asperger Syndrome it is about the things that are "wrong", problem behaviors that adults are seeking to fix. Rarely do we sit down and see the beauty of our kids on the spectrum. This book does just that. It highlights the charming quirks and interesting qualities many of them have. In addition, the pictures are fabulous! They are charming and colorful with a hint of humor. My personal favorite simply must be the pizza puzzle.

After reading this book together, for the first time my daughter felt proud to have Asperger Syndrome. She identified with the kids in it and laughed with delight at the pictures of things she loves. At age six she has memorized it and recites if often as she comes across objects that remind her of it. Just this morning as petting the cats she said once again, "K for kitty!"

This book is such a delight! We all have so much to learn from these amazing individuals and this book conveys it in a way that is easy to understand. I highly recommend it for building self-esteem in children who have Asperger Syndrome, for increasing awareness in the classroom or daycare and even for teaching adults in a simple way about our kids on the spectrum.

-Mother of three children with Asperger Syndrome and author of
Finding Our Way: Practical Solutions for Creating a Supportive Home and Community for the Asperger Syndrome Family

Written by Elaine Marie Larson and illustrated by Vivian Strand, I Am Utterly Unique: Celebrating The Strengths Of Children With Asperger Syndrome And High-Functioning Autism is a very special alphabet book with each letter of the alphabet corresponds to a positive quality or a strength found among children with Asperger Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism. From A for "I am an Animal Lover" to L for "I like to Learn" to T for "I Tell the Truth", the alphabet, phrases and simple color pictures offer an overall message of positive self-esteem. Especially recommended for families with Asperger Syndrome children.

Because I have a daughter with high functioning autism, I contiualy search for quality products which will help her and those who share her life. I bought this book because of the rave reviews it received. Instead, I was "utterly disappointed". This alphabet book could be written for ANY population - not just those with Asperger Syndrome or High Functioning Autism. There is nothing that informs the child - nothing that helps explain. Feeling good about themselves is a critical component of their journey to self awareness - but WHERE is there anything in this book that helps them make them more aware? For professionals to recommend this book is a huge disservice to those who are searching for real tools and help on this journey.

The traits commonly associated with Asperger's syndrome (one of the autism spectrum disorders) are listed out in alliterative alphabetical order-I Like to Learn, I am Utterly Unique, I am a Knowledgable Kid...etc. What I love about this book is the positive spin it puts on children with AS. It doesn't attempt to fix them, it's a moral booster. The only thing I don't like is that, by the time a child with AS gets to the point of appreciating a book like this, an alphabet book can be seen as insulting to his intelligence.
Other than that, this is another great motivational book for a child with AS-or really, any highly-funtioning form of autism-that shows the benefits of being a kid who's really good at a number of things. Great job done by the author not trying to "fix" the children reading this book.

I was looking for books to help explain to my young daughter that she is HFA (high fuctioning autistic). This book doesn't explain anything and doesn't seem to be about anything in particular either. The only reason you would think it is for or about kids on the spectrum is that the title says so. It is a very simple A-Z format which my daughter (who is 7) gets bored with now. In fact I would just avoid all those A-Z books on Autism. Of the three books I ordered, this was the only one to disappoint. I would recommend "All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome" as a must. Also, "Different Like Me, My Book of Autism Heroes" is a great book, although a bit above my 7 year old still.

I think the book is great. I love the positive view!

It just wasn't right for what I was looking for. It's definitely geared toward a younger audience than my 11 year old son.

My son who was recently dxd with AS loves this book. I have read it to him several times and I find him reading it by himself often. As is typical of many children with Asperger's, my son is a perfectionist. He has a hard time with any suggestion that he has limitations or that he may not be good at something. This book is focused purely on the positive traits of Asperger's and HFA. I can see him swell with pride as he reads it. He runs around the house quoting the book, "I have a busy brain! I have super senses!" and so forth. I find this book to be a nice, gentle, and pleasant introduction to his condition and hope that this early focus on the positive will help him feel more confident so that when we do start working on his limitations, he'll have this healthy foundation to fall back on in times of insecurity. I definitely recommend this book, especially for younger children. It may be too simplistic for older children but that, of course, depends on the child.

This book is beautiful in every sense - beautifully written, beautifully illustrated and beautifully conceived.
It has meant the difference between being ignored and being embraced in my son's school life (he's autistic, and just started K in a mainstream school).
Worth twice the price.

Good simple book showing positive aspects of people on AS. Many "that's just like me moments" with my 6th grader.