Hi,

  I have a 16 year old son at home, even though he goes to school full-time.... it can be trying--- to keep up with everything.

 does anyone recommend good books for Autisim?

Thanks,

MBLisa1

Asperger's Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals by Tony Attwood is an excellent resource.  It's a parent-friendly read, not an overly technical just-shoot-me-this-is-so-boring book.  Since your son is an adolescent, you might want to try Autism-Asperger's & Sexuality by J. Newport and M. Newport.  You might also like Mozart and The Whale, also by Jerry and Mary Newport.  The latter is a memoir of how Jerry and Mary, both of whom have Asperger's, met and fell in love.  

There are also several websites you could visit to find more suggestions for books and other resources.

www.asperger.net

www.autism.org

www.futurehorizons-autism.com

www.tonyattwood.com

www.jkp.com

Hope some of this is helpful.

Thanks so much for all of your help!  I really appreciate it!

Melissa

Edward G. Carr (ISBN-10: 1557661596 & ISBN-10: 0940898608)

Ann Turnbull (ISBN-10: 0131708694 & ISBN-10: 0131197959)

Hope these are of any help. Happy Holidays!

I had forgotten to click "watch this topic" back when I posted this thread.

( I had just joined the month that I had originally started this topic...)

I want to thank Everyone ! who posted good books!!!!

There is a lot of good information here.

Melissa

i have a 17 year old autistic son, i have read every book i could get my hands on. so many i couldnt even

tell you the authors. none of them, however didnt help in any way in dealing with jeremiah or his violent

behaviors, so, if anyone could help me by reomending a book that might help, i would be forever grateful.

Hi Marion,

   My son is also 17.   I will honestly say that Medication has been the biggest factor in managing

my Sons behavior.

 I dont really have a favorite book to recommend for behavior problems..the books that I have are about

coping with Autisim in general.

I will PM you also.

Take care,

Melissa

i was given a fairly thick booklet on autism spectrum disorders that has alot of info inside.

however, i have dealt with severe autism for 17 years, so the info really didnt help me. but it

could be very helpful to someone with a small child that has autism, so if anyone would like

it i would be more than happy to mail this to them. all i need is a pm with name and address

and remember, no matter what you are going through, you are not alone. if anyone ever needs

someone to talk to, i will always listen and help any way i can. god bless and dont give up.

.......................................................................................................................marion

A friend sent this...

Autism Night Before Christmas
by Cindy Waeltermann

Twas the Night Before Christmas
And all through the house
The creatures were stirring
Yes, even the mouse

We tried melatonin
And gave a hot bath
But the holiday jitters
They always distract

The children were finally
All nestled in bed
When nightmares of terror
Ran through my OWN head

Did I get the right gift
The right color
And style
Would there be a tantrum
Or even, maybe, a smile?

Our relatives come
But they don't understand
The pleasure he gets
Just from flapping his hands.

"He needs discipline," they say
"Just a well-needed smack,
You must learn to parent..."
And on goes the attack

We smile and nod
Because we know deep inside
The argument is moot
Let them all take a side

We know what it's like
To live with the spectrum
The struggles and triumphs
Achievements, regressions...

But what they don't know
And what they don't see
Is the joy that we feel
Over simplicity

He said "hello"
He ate something green!
He told his first lie!
He did not cause a scene!

He peed on the potty
Who cares if he's ten,
He stopped saying the same thing
Again and again!

Others don't realize
Just how we can cope
How we bravely hang on
At the end of our rope

But what they don't see
Is the joy we can't hide
When our children with autism
Make the tiniest stride

We may look at others
Without the problems we face
With jealousy, hatred
Or even distaste,

But what they don't know
Nor sometimes do we
Is that children with autism
Bring simplicity.

We don't get excited
Over expensive things
We jump for joy
With the progress work brings

Children with autism
Try hard every day
That they make us proud
More than words can say.

They work even harder
Than you or I
To achieve something small
To reach a star in the sky

So to those who don't get it
Or can't get a clue
Take a walk in my shoes
And I'll assure you

That even 10 minutes
Into the walk
You'll look at me
With respect, even shock.

You will realize
What it is I go through
And the next time you judge
I can assure you

That you won't say a thing
You'll be quiet and learn,
Like the years that I did
When the tables were turned.......

To: ShaiG~

Thanks so much for posting the above poem!

A Regular Guy: Living with Autism...

A fantastic book written by a mother of a child with Autism.

A friend of mine also recommended the book called

A Regular Guy - see listing above.

I need to research that book, it sounds wonderful.

I haven't read them, but I've heard "Born on a Blue Day" and "The Strange Tale of the Dog in the Night" (or something like that) are really good. Also recommended but not yet read (I have NO time, alas) is "Strange Son" by Portia Iverson.

Hang in there...we're all in this together...........

Hugs!!!

Tracey(Long Island)

Mom to 4 year old Zach, PDD-NOS

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon, is the book you were reaching for, Tracey. :-)  I thought it was excellent, but it seems to have a love/hate thing going on with readers.  Haven't met anyone who thought it was ok, they either adored it or detested it.

I have a 23-yo son with Asperger's. I haven't read a lot of books on autism, because he wasn't diagnosed until he was 16. I didn't even know there were forums on this site until I looked at your profile Melissa.

Yes, I loved The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time. I laughed & I cried & I could so see my son in Chris, the boy in the book.

Another good book is written by a man with Asperger's, Look Me In The Eye by John Elder Robison. Robison cleaned up the paperback version of bad language when he found out people were giving it to 12-yos to read. His publisher told him it wouldn't work, but he did it any way. The hardback still has the bad language

A book I've used extensively is The Explosive Child by Ross W. Greene, PhD. My DSO always called it The Ka-Bloomy Child. I let someone borrow it & never received it back.

Let me digress,

I second medication for aggressive behavior. But not without good behavioral intervention. I never gave up on my son. He was severely aggressive until  adolescence. I had no books to read back then, at least not books that dealt with aggressive children at home. Everything I did read was about institutionalizing them. That wasn't an option for me. I did a lot of art activities with him at home. I recommend clay. It's very theraputic. I think the most important thing I learned through the years is to be long sighted, patient, persistent, dedicated, educated and most of all, the hardest thing of all, change my ways/ change myself, take the focus off my son and focus on myself and my attitudes, personality defects, lifestyle, and foremost, my how I perceived my son and how I treated my son. Everything rested on me changing myself and adapt to what I was confronting. To this day, although there is no violence anymore, I still have to focus on myself. For when I change, so does my son change. Finding myself has been a journey. It has been ongoing and an adventure.

What more? My grandson has High functioning Autism. Second round. This time I have skills and insight, thank goodness. It 's still is a trial, but a blessing in disguise.

I have learned to accept myself for who I am. I have learned so much about me and now I have been diagnosed with High Functioning Autism, myself. This explained a great deal and gave me so many answers to my questions. The fruit falls not far from the tree. I'm sure my mother would have been diagnosed with Aperger's, if she had been on this earth long enough. Yes we are a family with different forms of Autism. Each one of us is an individual with different shades of the same disorder. We all have had special journeys into unchartered territory. Sometimes wonderful ones.

Be faithful and have hope. Your son will be alright one day. It is not impossible to quel aggressive tendencies, it takes a whole lot of work and a whole lot of insight.

I do know one book on meltdowns and Autism. It is called:

"Asperger Syndrome and Difficult Moments" Practical solutions for Tamtrums, Rage, and Meltdowns.

By Brenda Smith Myles and Jack Southwick. 1999

ISBN: 0967251435

These are the books I have been reading:

Teaching Children with Autims to Mind-Read. A practical Guide. by Patricia Howlin, SImon Baron-Bohen and Julie Hadwin.

ISBN: 0471976237

An Anthropologis on Mars by Oliver Sacks. There is one story in the book on a professor with Autism. Very insightful read.

ISBN 0679437851

How Children Learn the Meanings of Words. By Paul Bloom. Very good book on language and "Theory of Mind" (The paramount problem in Autism)

ISBN:0262523299

Sensory Perceptual Issues in Autism and Asperger Syndrome-Different sensory Experiences. Different Perceptual Worlds. By Olga Bogdashina

ISBN 1843101661

Lately I am reading everything I can get my hands on about "Therory of Mind". Have you read stuff on it.?It's worth your while to read thoroughly on this subject. That and about Language development. (Not speech, but language)

I do hope you know you have friends that have had similar experiences. I would be happy to share them with you. We are most certainly not alone.

Thanks so much for all of the comments and book suggestions.  They are very much appreciated.

Melissa

I read this one that Elona recommended, Sensory Perceptual Issues in Autism and Asperger Syndrome by Olga Bogdashina. It was very informative and I also recommend it.

I also want to add Preparing for Life by Dr. Jed Baker. "The Complete Guide for Transitioning to Adulthood for those with Autism and Aspergers Syndrome". Very practical and informative.

I know this thread is old, so if anyone wants someone to talk to feel free to message me. I have an earlier post, You can see what I wrote.

Have a great day! 

Elona, I've read your posts here as well as in the rest of the forum and I always read them carefully. They are thoughtful, helpful and informative. My son is 14 and has high functioning autism as well. For myself, as a "neurotypical", a book I found interesting was Far from the Tree by Andrew Solomon.