Wired Up Wrong Asperger Syndrome Normal And Me

Growing up is never easy but what's it like if you're 'different'? Actually, what's it like if you're 'different' but you don't know that you're 'different'? Having led what he thought was a 'normal' life for 31 years, our plucky hero's world was thrown into confusion when he was diagnosed with something called 'Asperger Syndrome'. But people don't catch Asperger Syndrome so where did it come from? Was it there all along and not noticed? Set against the backdrop of the North East of England in the 70's and 80's, and having to cope with life with a disabled father as well as facing the everyday challenges that most people take for granted, this is the insiders view of one boy's life with AS - from the safety of make-believe worlds to the terrifying depths of suicide, self-harming, and isolation. Sometimes harrowing, sometimes surreal, but never dull, this is the story of a little boy's struggle to not only grow up and survive in the world, but to find out what he truly was.

Nobody ever said it was going to be easy, nobody ever said it wouldn't be hard but how do you learn to cope when your world has been turned upside down? How do you adpat when you realise that everything that you thought you were...isn't? How do you live in a world not designed for you?This is the situation that our plucky hero finds himself in after having been diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome. With a failed marriage behind him and several disasterous relationships ahead of him, prepare to enter a world of self-harming, depression, suicide, domestic abuse and a seemingly never ending stream of kicks to the head.This follow up to the smash hit Wired-Up Wrong details the next four years in author Neil Shepherd's life. Told in his unique style of dark humour mixed with drama-queen histrionics (and an over use of brackets), this brutally honest book shows the very depths that man can sink to...and the strength of the human spirit.

One of the increasing number of people diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome in adulthood, Jen Birch relates her story with humour and honesty, taking us through the years of confusion that led to her diagnosis. Talking positively, Jen aims to use this new-found knowledge to inform others about the syndrome and how life can be lived to the full.

Recognising Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome is an accessible guide, offering information and guidance, self-help and coping strategies and illustrated throughout with personal quotes, vignettes and anecdotes from clients with autism with whom the author has worked clinically. The book captures the individual stories, quotations and experiences, observed in adult autism diagnostic services, woven in with contemporary research, theory and clinical insights. It outlines the history of the condition and the present criteria for obtaining a diagnosis. With exercises, tips, questionnaires, psycho-educational work and advice sheets, this new edition also elucidates the female presentation of autism that has attained significance in the recent times. The book is deliberately aimed at a broad audience of people: those who have just received a diagnosis and want to know more, those who are considering seeking a diagnosis, family members, relatives, friends and clinicians, including mental health workers, psychologists, support workers and all those who work with autistic people.

Written by a clinical neuropsychologist, this book is an accessible guide to everything you need to know about Asperger Syndrome, offering information and guidance, self-help and coping strategies and illustrated throughout with over 150 personal quotes, vignettes and anecdotes from clients with AS with whom the author has worked with clinically over the last 10 years. The book is deliberately aimed at a broad audience of people: those who have just received a diagnosis and want to know more, those who are considering seeking a diagnosis, family members, relatives, friends and clinicians including mental health workers, psychologists, support workers and all those who work with people with AS. Trevor Powell is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist who is the Lead for Neuropsychology services for Berkshire Healthcare NHS Trust. He has written a number of books and research articles having worked clinically for over 30 years in the field of adult mental health, brain injury, particularly head injury, and with adults with Asperger's syndrome/Autism.

`This accomplished author demonstrates incredible insight into her AS, and how it has shaped her life. She is courageous in sharing with the reader moments clearly painful to recall, which offers parents a rare peek inside the world of their children. At times mesmerized by her poetic style, Willey is the first AS author to effectively convey the emotion and isolation experienced by these individuals.' -ASPEN Newsletter `For families living with "Aspies" and professionals working with them, this is highly recommended to further understand the challenges of Asperger Syndrome' -Joan Wheeler, CoOrdinator, Regional Services `This autobiographical narrative details the life of a woman with Aspergers Syndrome (AS), a mild form of autism. It focuses on the obstacles she confronts, her means of overcoming them, and her ultimate recognition and acceptance of her status as an "aspie"...The book will be an aid for people who have AS and it may be even more useful for those who do not have it, but who are close to someone who does.' - Disability Studies Quarterly `The book will be of great benefit to everyone concerned to help children and adults with mild Asperger's syndrome, but most of all to the people who are themselves affected.' - Child Psychology and Psychiatry `The author is a university lecturer who found that many of the puzzles of her own life fell into perspective when, after several years of knowing one of her twin daughters was different from the other, she eventually found someone who listened and explained Asperger's Syndrome. She vividly describes her own difficulties and emotions as she herself grew up with Asperger's Syndrome...Her story is told simply and through it we gain insight into what it is like to lose your way in your own home town, be assaulted by your heightened senses and attempt to unravel the mysteries of social communication. In the appendices she describes the strategies that have been of most help to her. This book is a testimony to the exceptional qualities of those who have Asperger's Syndrome.' - Therapy Weekly `Before reading this book I had some academic knowledge of the symptoms of Asperger's Syndrome which had stimulated my curiosity about what it might be like to suffer from the condition. I looked forward to reading the book to see if it would help me to understand how a person with Asperger's might think and feel. I was not disappointed. The book is well written and easy to read and I found it hard to put down. I felt the author's descriptions of her struggles to communicate with others and cope with sensory overload gave me a real insight into how Liane thinks and feels. It also gave me food for thought about conformity pressures in our society and how we treat people who seem different from the norm...This is a hopeful and optimistic book. Liane is a doctor of education and she is happily married with three children. I used the words "suffer from Asperger's syndrome" deliberately in the first paragraph as that is how I saw it. Liane has a different view - she does not minimise the difficulties she has had to face but she does not wish she was different. She challenges us to think about what we mean by the word `normal' and to be less rigid in our thinking about `normal' behaviour. I believe this is a valuable read for all counsellors and will give them much food for thought. Asperger's syndrome occurs with varying levels of severity. Hopefully, reading the book will help counsellors to work more effectively with clients who may have the syndrome to some degree and to avoid labelling them as difficult. It would also be very useful for clients where they or one of their relatives might have Asperger's Syndrome.' - Relate News `Liane's autobiography will allow others to understand the world as perceived by a person with Asperger's Syndrome ... I strongly recommend this book for teachers as it will provide the previously elusive reasons for behaviours that were considered unconventional or appeared to be abnormal. Specialists and therapists who diagnose and treat such children will find the book a treasure trove of information and insight ... [this] book will be an inspiration for thousands of people throughout the world.' - From the Foreword by Tony Attwood `This accomplished author demonstrates incredible insight into her AS, and how it has shaped her life. She is courageous in sharing with the reader moments clearly painful to recall, which offers parents a rare peek inside the world of their children. At times mesmerized by her poetic style, Willey is the first AS author to effectively convey the emotion and isolation experienced by these individuals.' - ASPEN Newsletter

Is it possible that you, your child, or someone you love might have Asperger's Syndrome? Do they call it "Asperger's Syndrome" or is it, technically, "Autism Spectrum Disorder"? I'm going to give you my guide, some tools, and some positive practices for living a fulfilled life as an Autistic Adult and give you some tips on how to recognize autism in yourself or others. Autism is nothing to be ashamed of. If this book has been suggested to you, understand I have accomplished a great deal in my life because of this "faulty-wiring" in my brain. I am quite proud of these tendencies I have to over-work while not needing much sleep or food. I feel superhuman with my ability to dive deeply into my special interests and I don't feel the need for validation from the crowd. I also tend to struggle with personal relationships, co-workers, and daily tasks that others take for granted. I went undiagnosed and misunderstood for 33 years not knowing I was autistic. The awareness I now have gives me the perspective I have needed my whole life to say "I am different and that is okay." I struggle with things others find easy and find I am gifted in ways that others struggle. Now I know that my "executive functioning skills" differ from other people and that "sensory processing disorder" is what keeps me overwhelmed in loud restaurants or in family get-togethers. This understanding lets me know I am different, not wrong. This gives me the opportunity to be understood. Something I have craved my entire life. I have been told in a complementary tone; "You don't look autistic." To which I want to respond with a snarky quip but instead I ask "what does autism look like to you?" My guess is that autism looks like a eight-to-twelve year old Caucasian boy rocking on a carpet. While part of this might be true, this is only who has been diagnosed in the current system with old broken rules helping us to navigate the murky waters of understanding. After all, what happens to all those weird kids when they grow up? Do they suddenly stop being autistic?I am a writer, a USMC Veteran, and a Realtor. I have a family line of intelligent and introverted "odd-ducks" which I trace back to my grandpa, also a veteran. A quiet man, who worked for years in his home office, after retiring from IBM in the Silicon Valley. His home is where my mom brought me up with him and my grandmother who described me, lovingly, as such a "curious little guy". This book was written for the undiagnosed, or recently diagnosed adult, hoping to add a little order into the disorder. I wanted to have some fun, so I won't quote the DSM... not even on accident. I will, however, quote TED talks, YouTube Videos, and blogs.This shouldn't feel like a depressing sludge through the mush, if it does I didn't do my job. This should feel like coming home without all the stress of actually having to go home! Thousands and thousands of years of humans have evolved to make you. How could you possibly be a mistake? My wife loves me like crazy and I love her. She is neurotypical and I am autistic. I would have had a terribly difficult time getting to know me, these past few years, without her love and patience. I am understood. What more could an Aspie ask for? I still don't understand all of these weird human beings I live here with, completely, or their primal relationships, but I enjoy them more and more every day that I am lucky enough to get to know them a little better while spending my time here on earth. I wish for you love and understanding and maybe a good laugh or two! Welcome home.

Play Therapy and Asperger's Syndrome: Helping Children and Adolescents Grow, Connect, and Heal Through the Art of Play is for the mental health professional (psychologist, licensed counselor, licensed social worker) who utilizes play therapy and who works with children and adolescents diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome. This book is also for the graduate student learning effective therapy approaches to use with children and adolescents diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome. The book provides a history of Asperger's syndrome and the challenges that often arise in therapy with this population. The book examines therapist characteristics and skills necessary to effectively utilize play therapy with young people diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome. Play Therapy and Asperger's Syndrome presents the main therapeutic themes of children and adolescents diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome and play therapy techniques are provided for each theme to address the emotional, behavioral, and relational challenges. A separate chapter is devoted to issues of divorce and grief/loss and presents specific play therapy techniques to help children and adolescents diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome during these potentially tumultuous life events. Each chapter presents play therapy techniques to help build family connections and help parents/caregivers connect in a deeper understanding of their child or adolescent diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome.