Book Review: Aspergirls by Rudy Simone

The subtitle of this book is "Empowering Females with Asperger Syndrome," and it is written in a pleasant, conversational style that mixes interview quotes with the author's observations and advice on a wide variety of issues. Rudy Simone expresses a desire to help women on the spectrum feel validated, overcome depression, and become better understood. Most of the chapters, after discussing a specific issue relevant to autistic females, end with advice for "Aspergirls" and for their parents on that issue.

After stating that a love for information is an autistic trait, Simone observes that school often can be difficult because of bullying and loneliness, and that it is important to take action when this happens. She advises dealing with stress and sensory overload as related issues, which can be improved by taking good care of oneself through exercise, a healthy diet, avoiding situations that are likely to be stressful or overloading, and self-calming activities such as rocking and spinning that help to relieve stress.

Females on the spectrum tend to internalize a lot of guilt as a result of misunderstandings, Simone writes, and to feel uncomfortable with gender roles. Puberty brings many challenges, from its physical aspects to the issues of dating and socializing, and can be an age when selective mutism is triggered by increased social anxiety.

University students may tend to push themselves too hard and try to accomplish too much at once. Simone stresses the importance of setting aside enough time to rest and decompress, as well as seeking out disability services and counseling to the extent needed. Getting a degree can make it possible to have a satisfying career in one's field of interest, rather than a stressful and low-paying job. She urges young women to get whatever help they need to make it through college and not to give up.

She identifies self-awareness as crucial in making decisions about marriage and children. Rather than drifting into a conventional family life because of social expectations, the first step should be for a woman to consider carefully what she wants and needs. Finding a compatible partner and knowing what to expect as a mother should not be taken for granted.

Rituals, blunt speech, and differences in expressing emotion often result in misunderstandings. It is not unusual for women on the spectrum to be misdiagnosed and given inappropriate medications. Simone makes clear that she is not opposed to the use of medications by those who find them helpful, but she urges careful evaluation of how well they are working and of whether the benefits outweigh the risks.

Depression involves feeling powerless, she writes, and often can be helped by getting into a better environment and learning more effective coping skills. A more pleasant environment also can help with issues of controlling one's temper. She discusses aging and health concerns, recommending natural foods and supplements while also pointing out that autistics can be very sensitive to dietary changes and that excessive amounts of supplements can cause problems.

The book has a noticeable New Age flavor, mentioning such topics as karma, blocked chi, and psychic powers. Those who enjoy such digressions will probably find it entertaining. Simone has a tendency to overgeneralize at times by discussing particular traits as if they applied uniformly to all women on the spectrum; but this style of writing helps her to build an empathetic rapport with readers who share those traits, and she is being more careful to avoid stereotyping than she has been in the past. Overall, this is an ambitious effort, touching on many different aspects of life as a woman on the autism spectrum, and providing advice that is likely to be helpful for many readers.

Book Review: Get Out, Explore, and Have Fun!

Lisa Jo Rudy, who blogs at autism.about.com, has written an informative and well-organized book full of helpful tips for getting kids on the autism spectrum involved in activities. Her book, entitled Get Out, Explore, and Have Fun! How Families of Children with Autism or Asperger Syndrome Can Get the Most out of Community Activities, begins with a thoughtful discussion of why it is so important for autistic children to be involved in their communities.

In the real world, she points out, relationships usually develop based on shared interests and experiences. Therapeutic settings with artificially planned interactions, however well intended, cannot substitute for the everyday life and relationship lessons that flow from regular participation in the community. Although therapy sessions can be helpful in teaching specific skills, too much time spent in the therapist's office can have the unintended effect of depriving an autistic child of opportunities to take part in ordinary social situations and to learn from them.

Identifying a child's strengths and interests, Rudy suggests, should be the starting point in finding activities at which a child is likely to succeed. For instance, a child who loves Thomas the Tank Engine may also enjoy train museums, scenic train rides, and model train exhibitions. Taking part in such activities can go a long way toward enabling a child to become more confident and able in social settings generally. These experiences may create a strong foundation for a lifetime of pleasant social activities with others who have similar passions, or in some cases may even lead to a related career.

The book is organized into easy-to-follow sections discussing how to get children involved in particular types of activities: sports, youth groups, museums and zoos, faith communities, the arts, camping and the natural world, special-interest clubs, and family outings. Although group leaders and others in positions of authority may not be familiar with autism, this should not deter parents from seeking opportunities for inclusion, Rudy advises. In today's world, an increasing number of programs for children have been specifically designed to be autism-friendly, while others may need only small modifications to accommodate a child's needs. Several of the book's sections end with tip sheets for activity leaders, which are designed to be copied by parents and used as a starting point for discussion of how best to integrate their child into an activity.

Inclusion is not only the right thing to do, Rudy explains; it also has direct financial benefits to community organizations struggling to attract new participants and supporters in a difficult economy. Although some program organizers may initially balk at the perceived cost or difficulty of making their activities more accessible to kids on the spectrum, they may be persuaded to support inclusion more enthusiastically by means of a detailed proposal showing the benefits to be gained. A sample grant proposal for developing an autism-friendly activity is included at the end, along with a list of useful resources for families.

Overall, the book remains clearly focused throughout on the topic of practical solutions to families' inclusion concerns. It is refreshingly free of controversial digressions or emotionally loaded language. While Rudy does not gloss over the difficulties that families may encounter, she consistently maintains an upbeat, can-do attitude and breaks down her advice into small, easily manageable steps for parents who may be feeling overwhelmed and unsure of what to do. This perceptive, well-structured book seems likely to help many families and, in encouraging the development of more autism-friendly activities, to benefit the community as a whole.

Book Review: 22 Things a Woman Must Know if She Loves a Man with Asperger's Syndrome

Author Rudy Simone, in her first foray into the world of self-help books, seeks to address what she perceives as the concerns of women who are in romantic relationships with Autistic men. The cover blurb states that Simone, who gives presentations on autism to various groups, is "drawing on research and personal experiences to inform and advise women with AS partners."

Unfortunately, the book provides very little in the way of citations to peer-reviewed studies and instead relies heavily on stereotypes and unsubstantiated claims from Maxine Aston, who wrote the foreword. Aston asserts, without any valid research to back it up, that being involved in a relationship with an Autistic person causes "Cassandra Affective Deprivation Disorder," to which Aston attributes a variety of ailments from colds to cancer. Aston's claims have been debunked extensively on many Internet sites.

Simone has publicly stated that she is herself on the spectrum, which she learned only recently. When she first began to read about autism, she said in an interview, books by Maxine Aston and Barbara Jacobs were among the first things she found. In light of Simone's lack of a research background that would have enabled her to give their books more critical scrutiny, it is not surprising that like many young Autistics starting a career, Simone was naive and made a poor choice of mentors.

One useful suggestion in 22 Things is that an Autistic person should learn "to trust and respect his own original thinking in many matters." (p. 69) It is to be hoped that Simone will take her own advice in this regard when she pursues future projects. With her friendly, upbeat, and easily understandable communication style, she has the potential to connect well with audiences in both her speaking and writing endeavors.

Book Review: Can the World Afford Autistic Spectrum Disorder?

In discussing nonverbal communication as it pertains to autism, Digby Tantam, who is a professor at the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom, postulates that the high level of social connectedness in the modern world has made differences in nonverbal communication both more visible and more disabling. Although the book's title seems rather off-putting in light of the historical use of cost arguments to support eugenics, Tantam promptly explains that he is not referring to monetary costs but instead is giving the word 'afford' its secondary meaning of accommodation. He points out that "many adults with Asperger Syndrome are blocked from being economically productive. Often this is not because they are unwilling, or even unable, to work but because society does not create—'afford'—the opportunity for them to do so."

Tantam discusses characteristics of autism that affect nonverbal communication, such as gaze avoidance and differences of voice and gesture, and how they lead to difficulties in perceiving and interpreting social signals. He points out that communication is a two-way process and that an Autistic person not only misunderstands others as a result of these nonverbal communication issues, but also is misunderstood by others.

Drawing an analogy between our society's complex interactions and the Internet, Tantam speculates that modern humans are linked together in an ongoing web of nonverbal communication, which he calls the 'interbrain,' and that it governs social activity on a subconscious level. In his view, an Autistic person has less connections to the 'interbrain' and thus acquires less of the social information that others seem to pick up through a subliminal process, but also is likely to have more potential for independent and original thought. Because of society's strong emphasis on conformity, the potential contributions of Autistics often have been overlooked.

Much of the disability associated with autism, Tantam opines, is the result of anxiety caused by bullying and excessive social pressure to conform, rather than being an intrinsic part of autism. Observing that "the neurotypical brain is not normal in any but the statistical sense," he suggests that our society needs more "effort and thoughtfulness" in finding effective ways to include and empower its Autistic citizens.

He specifically argues against eugenic attempts to dissuade Autistics from having children, stating that "we should not want to reduce human genetic diversity in this way because society gains, rather than loses, by the neurodiversity that results."

The cover art illustrates this message by arranging blue puzzle pieces to form a plus sign, with one orange piece occupying the central position and fitting there perfectly. There's no mistaking the nonverbal meaning in that image: Autistics should not be seen as puzzling oddities or tragic missing pieces, but as valued members of society. This is a much-needed message in a world that so often struggles to accept diversity.

Book Review: Michelangelo the Diver

Dana Commandatore, author of the children's book Michelangelo the Diver, writes in the foreword that her autistic son Michelangelo constantly inspires and challenges her to help him realize his dreams. He loves the ocean and wants to be a scuba diver when he grows up.

The book is about dreams, not about autism; but the underlying message that we all have the potential to realize our dreams is particularly relevant to families with autistic children, who must contend with social pressures that can make it hard to keep dreaming.

With bright and cheerful illustrations by Damian Elwes, the book describes a young boy's dreams of being a diver frolicking with the ocean's creatures and his discovery that dreams sometimes can come true. It is just the right length for a bedtime story, and the theme is one that can inspire both children and their parents to dream of beautiful and amazing things.