Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #419896 in Books
• Published on: 2002-11-30
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 152 pages

From Booklist
Prince-Hughes, an adjunct professor of anthropology and author of a book about gorillas, prefaces the essays in this collection with biographical information about each writer. Crediting the Internet with a rise of an "autistic culture," the editor goes on to differentiate between classic autism and Asperger's syndrome (AS), a condition with which she herself struggles. Each contributor tells his or her story, helping to illuminate problems with relationships, communication, obsessions, sensory channels, jobs, etc. Moreover, the special talents of these bright individuals and their coping mechanisms come to light. Here neurotypicals, autistics' label for "normals," can get hints about using counterquestions to promote better conversations, and those with AS can follow suggestions such as seeing a career counselor before choosing a college major. Sharing their trials and tribulations, these adults offer their communities a certain expertise, especially in libraries and universities, where people with such conditions are often successful. Nancy McCray
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
"These essays... exhibit a level of awareness, effective writing, and sophisticated understanding of the world they must cope with that are usually thought beyond the capabilities of even the highest functioning people with autism." - Clara Claiborne Park, author of Exiting Nirvana: A Daughter's Life with Autism

About the Author

Customer Reviews

View from the inside
An intriguing collection of essays by those on the autistic spectrum(AS). The editor has deliberately resisted overediting of the essays so the AS style of thinking and wording comes through. The writers mostly focus on their college and young adult years and the problems with finding friends and employment. Life poses many difficulties, even for higher functioning AS people with college degrees. They have academic and job skills, but the social differences pose a significant barrier.

A relative of mine found this book helpful in giving insight to how some AS people perceive and encounter the world. This book might also be helpful to AS teenagers and young adults to help them realize a commonality of experience.

I am amazed by the explosion of books on Aspergers and autistic spectrum disorders. Until recently, there were only a few books available with the "inside" perspective of autism, such as by Temple Grandin. I welcome the contribution of others' perspectives.

As person with Autism Syndrom I recommend this book
I'm a person with Asperger's and I found this book helpful. It is not a definitive book, however it allows people who actually experience Autism Syndrome to have a voice, and allows an insider's view of this invisible disability. This book is very helpful for someone who suffers with this syndrom as it shows them they are not alone. The book however, for the most part, does paint Aspies (people who suffer from Asperger's Syndrome) with one brush, that of the victim. Some of us look at Aspergers as not so much a disability as a DIFFERENCE. Look you NT's (Neurological Typicals) are preoccupied with social concerns and are obsessed with conformity... Now that's a Disabililty... So I perfer to remind myself that people like Einstein also 'suffered' from Aspergers and did quite well. All in all this book is a good starting point but not a difinitive book on the subject.

Making Sense Out of the Senses
This is an excellent book that explains what adults with autism/Asperger's contend with. This book is composed of essays by university students who provide personal accounts of what living with autism/Asperger's means and how they have coped and made giant steps forward.

I like the passage about synesthesia, that is linked sensory modes. One contributor explains how numbers and letters have colors; henceforth the title "Aquamarine Blue 5." She explains how certain sounds can have colors; this sensory condition has until very recently received little press.

Synesthesia can take on many forms. For certain people on the a/A spectrum, synesthesia is part of the sensory package. Some people can taste and smell certain words; colors can have an auditory component and in some cases, people have reported being able to see music.

How I wish I had this book when I was a university student! This sterling gem of a book helps clarify so much of what the Autism/Asperger's experience is all about for so many people.