Freaks, Geeks & Asperger Syndrome: A User Guide to Adolescence (Paperback)

by Luke Jackson (Author) "My name is Luke Christopher Jackson..." (more)
Key Phrases: cool teenager, autistic kids, autistic people, Asperger Syndrome, The Problem, Word About Sleep (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Have you ever been called a freak or a geek? Have you ever felt like one? Luke Jackson is 13 years old and has Asperger Syndrome. Over the years Luke has learned to laugh at such names but there are other aspects of life which are more difficult. Adolescence and the teenage years are a minefield of emotions, transitions and decisions and when a child has Asperger Syndrome, the result is often explosive.
Luke has three sisters and one brother in various stages of their adolescent and teenage years but he is acutely aware of just how different he is and how little information is available for adolescents like himself.
Drawing from his own experiences and gaining information from his teenage brother and sisters, he wrote this enlightening, honest and witty book in an attempt to address difficult topics such as bullying, friendships, when and how to tell others about AS, school problems, dating, relationships and morality.
Luke writes briefly about his younger autistic and AD/HD brothers, providing amusing insights into the antics of his younger years and advice for parents, carers and teachers of younger AS children. However, his main reason for writing was because "so many books are written about us, but none are written directly to adolescents with Asperger Syndrome. I thought I would write one in the hope that we could all learn together."

About the Author
Luke Jackson is 13 years old and has three sisters and three brothers. One of his brothers has AD/HD, one is autistic and Luke has Asperger Syndrome. He is the author of A User Guide to the GF/CF Diet for Autism, Asperger Syndrome and AD/HD, also published by JKP.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Pub; 1 edition (August 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1843100983
• ISBN-13: 978-1843100980
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (62 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #6,924 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #3 in	Books > Nonfiction > Education > Special Education > Communicative Disorders
  #9 in	Books > Children's Books > Issues > Illness
  #11 in	Books > Science > Medicine > Specialties > Pediatrics

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

110 of 110 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book for aspies, parents, and teachers, August 29, 2002

By	Lars E. Perner (Los Angeles, CA, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Luke Jackson draws on his experience as a teenager with Asperger's Syndrome to present a perspective on AS. The book provides a great deal of practical advice for teenagers on the spectrum and those who interact with them. In addition--and perhaps most importantly--the book provides a very well organized and comprehensive view of the condition from the "inside," taking a great step to making what perplexes those on the "outside" understandable. One very nice feature of the book is that the writer recognizes the significance of individual differences in the way AS is manifested in different people. As a special bonus, the book is sprinkled with a delightful sense of humor of a quality with which few people outside the spectrum are endowed.

43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you are looking for a great book -- this is it!, August 22, 2003

By	Patricia Luker (Royal Oak, Michigan) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Until now, there has never been a book about Asperger's Syndrome by a teenage with AS specifically FOR teens with AS. But Luke Jackson, a thirteen-year-old boy with Asperger's Syndrome from England, comes to the rescue with his cool new book, Freaks, Geeks and Asperger's Syndrome: A User Guide to Adolescence. Like a breath of fresh air, he writes in a breezy, witty, easy-to-understand style, to reassure teenagers that having AS (or High-Functioning autism).

First, he introduces the reader to his family, then goes on to introduce himself, including his obsessions (the big one being computers, of course!), the things that he has collected, such as pencils and then he talks about the ways he accommodates his sensory problems. One of the most ingenious is to use a balaclava, to provide the deep pressure that he needs to shut out extraneous noise and other stimuli. He goes into the minutest detail about the difficulties he experiences in school, including the literal interpretation of what he hears from the teacher, bullying, the problems involved with homework.

One of the minefields that is socializing and figuring out the subtle nuances in Freaks, Geeks and Asperger's Syndrome is the one on dating. In this chapter, Luke gives important tips on attracting kids of the opposite sex and on dating itself, including looking as clean ad attractive as possible, being tactful, and giving that person a compliment, such as, "I like your tie!" The overall theme of this little gem is that having AS and High-Functioning autism is a POSITIVE thing. "Different is cool!" To Luker Jackson, AS has more good than bed-creative, original thinking, a tendency to follow the law to the letter, and a real desire to learn and discover things about a specific interest-the makings of a future Einstein or Picasso.

When I read this book, I got the wonderful feeling that we are more "normal" than not, and that "normal" is really an arbitrary standard, set by each society and not a hard and fast rule. Three cheer to Luke Jackson and his nifty book for teens with AS!! This should be in every school library and in every home of a teen with AS. Need I say more? Oh, and one more thing . . . this book has a glossary of idioms, to help teens with Asperger's Syndrome understand the English language a little better.

48 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Asperger's and Beyond!, June 28, 2003

By	BeatleBangs1964 (United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Asperger's Syndrome or AS is a neurological condition that is on the spectrum as autism. It is NOT a mental illness. Luke Jackson, the young author of this sterling work gives a clear and pure voice of what "undefined behavioral/sensory differences" mean in terms of coping on a routine daily basis. Heightened sensory modes in addition to many of the behaviors that often accomopany AS such as rigid adherence to routines and/or ideas; social difficulties and literal interpretations of statements often stand out even more during puberty. This brilliant young man has presented a good case for nutrition and autism/Aspeger's; (a/A) several of his siblings exhibit varying degrees of spectrum behaviors.

Dr. Tony Attwood, an author and Asperger's specialist has contributed to this book. Dr. Attwood gives the Voice of Hope and the Stamp of Validity on Aspeger's. He provides clear, logical descriptions of spectrum behavior as well as clear, logical definitions of Asperger's and its neurological relationship to autism. Hats off to Dr. Attwood!

This is a book that will be cherished and used by parents, professionals, people with spectrum differences and people who are interested in spectrum differences. This invaluable book is for everybody!