This book will help you bring out those gifts.” In his bestselling memoir, Look Me in the Eye, John Elder Robison described growing up with Asperger’s syndrome at a time when the diagnosis didn’t exist. He was intelligent but socially isolated; his talents won him jobs with toy makers and rock bands but did little to endear him to authority figures and classmates, who were put off by his inclination to blurt out non sequiturs and avoid eye contact.By the time he was diagnosed at age forty, John had already developed a myriad of coping strategies that helped him achieve a seemingly normal, even highly successful, life. In Be Different, Robison shares a new batch of endearing stories about his childhood, adolescence, and young adult years, giving the reader a rare window into the Aspergian mind.In each story, he offers practical advice—for Aspergians and indeed for anyone who feels “different”—on how to improve the weak communication and social skills that keep so many people from taking full advantage of their often remarkable gifts. With his trademark honesty and unapologetic eccentricity, Robison addresses questions like:• How to read others and follow their behaviors when in uncertain social situations• Why manners matter• How to harness your powers of concentration to master difficult skills• How to deal with bullies• When to make an effort to fit in, and when to embrace eccentricity• How to identify special gifts and use them to your advantageEvery person, Aspergian or not, has something unique to offer the world, and every person has the capacity to create strong, loving bonds with their friends and family. Be Different will help readers and those they love find their path to success.

    So worth reading." "Was so interested in this autism novel that I decided not to take my sleeping meds so I could finish it last night. I reluctantly read the last page at 2 a.m. I didn't want it to end." "Impossible to read the last chapter without a tear...or at least a lump in your throat." "Special needs parents concerned with autism or Aspergers syndrome will cherish this book." In an age (late 1960’s and early 1970’s) when charlatans and medical quacks reigned in the treatment of autism, and when “refrigerator mothers” were blamed for the disorder, Peggy Raintree, a courageous mother, refuses to believe the myth that she caused her son’s autism by rejecting him at the breast—so she sets out to find her own answers. But will she be prevented from using her creative, new ideas to reach her strange little boy? And will he ever be able to show her his true face? Peggy deals with the pressures in her life with strength and grace, and even in her darkest moments never loses sight of her goals. She is not perfect, either as a parent or spouse, but she is warm, clear-thinking, and brave. The incidences of autism have skyrocketed in the last twenty years. This novel dramatizes the struggle to understand this phenomenon. It explores the foolish medical myths of the last forty years as well as the roots of the promising new ideas that have helped hundreds of boys and girls with autism in recent years. "Very few books have the power to make me weep, but the last scene with Billy made me bawl." "Autism fiction at its best." "...Legal drama--family court. I learned so much."

    But by understanding the specific ways your brain works differently--and how to tap into your personal strengths--you can greatly enhance your well-being. In this wise and practical book, experienced therapist Valerie L. Gaus helps you identify goals that will make your life better and take concrete steps to achieve them. Grounded in psychological science, the techniques in this book help you: *Learn the unspoken rules of social situations.*Improve your communication skills.*Get organized at home and at work.*Manage anxiety and depression.*Strengthen your relationships with family and friends.*Live more successfully on your own or with others. A wealth of stories, questionnaires, worksheets, and concrete examples help you find personalized solutions to problems you are likely to encounter. You can download and print additional copies of the worksheets for repeated use. Of special note, the Introduction was updated in 2017 with the latest information on how autism spectrum disorder is defined in DSM-5. Finally, a compassionate, knowledgeable, positive guide to living well on the spectrum. Mental health professionals, see also the author's Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Second Edition.

    Thinking Person's Guide to Autism (TPGA) is the resource we wish we'd had when autism first became part of our lives: a one-stop source for carefully curated, evidence-based information from autistics, autism parents, and autism professionals.

    A parent-friendly book, made especially so because it is written by parents who also are autism professionals, that takes the fear and mystery out of the college experience.

    But they never planned for how many there would be, or how much control people would want over their offspring's genetic makeup.Kea was an exile before she was born. Grown from an embryo that was rejected for having autism-spectrum genes, she has been raised on a starship full of Earth's unwanted children. When a sudden discovery threatens their plan to find a home, Kea must join with other rejects to save the ship from its own government. For more info about this book, go to: http://www.erikahammerschmidt.com/kea...

    The authors describe the inner workings of the social mind in the workplace and decode the hidden rules of the social world by explaining how we think about our own, as well as other people's thoughts and emotions. The process is complex and it requires social multitasking or Social Thinking to successfully navigate the nuances and different mind-set of others, especially people you may perceive as being difficult to work with. You'll explore how to better express your thoughts and how to encourage others to support your personal and professional endeavors as you gain an understanding of how to regularly adjust your thinking and related social behaviors for increasingly successful interactions.

    He gets his chance when he signs up for the role of Stone in the latest war game, "Warriors of the Edge." He figures the game will help him escape the real world and its troubles. But after one day of nonstop play, Tarek wishes he'd never heard of "Warriors of the Edge." The game has brought nothing but trouble into his life.When the game begins to blur the line between reality and fantasy, Tarek finds himself caught between those who believe in the game and those who oppose it. Is the game trying to warn him of danger or lead him into it? Tarek doesn't know whoto believe.As Tarek's home world faces the threat of destruction, he must determine whether the character he plays can make a difference in their real lives.

    Why should an announcement that cats and dogs are falling from the sky indicate heavy rain? And what have chickens got to do with being a coward?It's Raining Cats and Dogs is a witty and stylish insight into the mind of someone with an ASD. It beautifully illustrates why people with ASDs have problems understanding common phrases and idioms that others accept unquestioningly as part of everyday speech. The quirky drawings will entertain and inspire those on the spectrum, giving them the confidence to recognise figures of speech, feel less alienated and even use idioms themselves.The drawings will form instantly memorable references for those with ASDs to recall whenever they need to and will be helpful for anyone curious to understand the ASD way of thinking. They will enable people on the spectrum and their friends, families, teachers and colleagues to better understand and communicate with each other.

    People with a mental framework better suited to non-social tasks can often be overlooked and underutilised in such an environment, but this book explains exactly how those with Asperger Syndrome can get their talents recognised and become successful and indispensable employees.Following the DSM system and an easy to use format, Ashley Stanford addresses all of the issues that can arise once a person with AS secures employment, through the eyes of both employee and employer. Describing what might be expected of any employee, she offers helpful tips and workarounds not only to enable AS individuals achieve their fullest potential, but to take advantage of their strengths. In a positive and upbeat tone, she shows that with the right supports and strategies, it is possible to overcome the day-to-day challenges that trip up even the most savvy Aspie, including negotiating pay rises, employer/employee relationships, team meetings, career advancement, and choosing when to take vacation time. Drawing on her experience as CEO of a computer software company, she also suggests steps that employers and managers can take to improve the working environment for people with AS, and take advantage of their strengths to enable them to become outstanding employees.Business for Aspies will help people with AS take steps towards achieving happy, fulfilled and above all successful working lives. It will be of key interest to the employers, managers, partners, and families of people with AS.

    Learn how to transform learning difficulties into successful learning differences, enabling youngsters and adults alike to succeed. Bridges to Success offers visually talented yet challenged individuals a completely new perspective, empowering them to change themselves and the system around them. The focus is on positives and how people can be their very best. Threads of research, a wealth of experience and a variety of evidence have been pieced together to offer simple skills that anyone can learn to start making changes for the whole family and for any educational practice.

    

    Jack doesn’t always see the world in the usual way and is constantly surprised by the amount of trouble he manages to find himself in. While celebrating his tenth birthday, Jack makes a promise to himself, to finally be accepted and become the most normal and popular kid in school. He gives himself a whole year … 365 days … 8,760 hours … 525,600 minutes … 31,536,000 seconds to achieve his dream. But as Jack counts down the seconds to normality he starts to question how normal the normal people really are and, in doing so, begins to value his own Aspergian traits. For being different isn’t so wrong after all.Follow Jack’s journey, from the inside looking out, and discover that having Asperger’s isn’t suffering after all. Copies can be obtained from www.tremendaspie.com.au - ships to all countries.

    In this charming and well-written book, the author combines research on autism spectrum disorders and her vast knowledge of literature, pop music, and philosophy with accounts of daily life on a large dairy farm with three sons and a husband with an ASD. In sharing the ups, the downs, the growth, and the regression in their particular AS-NT journey, the author hopes that others on a similar path may find humor, recognition, and ways to view the unique life of loving an Aspergian from a new angle. The book will also appeal to those curious about ASD and how it affects someone s life and love. Any reader in a long-term relationship will resonate to the challenges and joys of living in such close relationship with another.