Freedman, Sarita. Foreword by Tony Attwood. Developing College Skills in Students with Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome. (2010).
Appropriate for: Parents of children on the spectrum who are curious about what happens after high school
Our children on the spectrum are part of the “early intervention” generation. We really have no idea what they will look like in ten years, just as probably ten years ago we couldn’t have imagined where our children are now with all the tools and knowledge that are out there now that weren’t at the time of diagnosis. A hot topic right now is the transition after high school. Will they go to college? Vocational school? Live independently? No one can answer these questions, but we can prepare ourselves as much as possible by finding out what resources are out there and what our children need to be prepared for whatever they want to do. Freedman presents the challenges those on the spectrum face in a college environment and suggests early preparation (for preschoolers to middle-schoolers) and later preparation (for older students and young adults). She emphasizes self-awareness (leading to self-advocacy) executive functioning, social skills, and the ability to regulate emotions and sensory issues, ask for help and support, focus on non-preferred activities, and care for oneself as key skills. However, even if your child has all of these abilities, you and your child must still decide whether or not college is the right course. She optimistically writes that college will always be an option for those who want to go, but she also realistically points out that to succeed a person on the spectrum will most likely need a college with basic levels of accommodation plus peer tutoring, assistance from a Disabilities Services Advisor, specific tutoring for time management and organizational skills, social skills groups, mentoring or coaching by peers or professionals, and ASD-specific counseling or psychotherapy. So, it’s possible but not easy. We didn’t think it would, did we? This book is a fantastic resource and worth reading before the panic of transition sets in.
Gaus, Valerie L., PhD. Living Well on the Spectrum: How to Use Your Strengths to Meet the Challenges of
Asperger Syndrome/High-Functioning Autism. (2011).
Appropriate for: People on the spectrum who are transitioning after high school who can self-advocate
This book is amazing in its scope, goals, and practicality. I hope when my son is a young adult he will read this and use it.
The first part of the book explains how the spectrum brain works and the second part helps the reader define the sources of his or her challenges and how to address them. The author really appeals to the spectrum brain in a very positive and constructive way. She instructs readers to be their own psychologists and look objectively at their strengths and challenges and accept what can and
cannot be changed. Her step-by-step problem solving technique is a clear, logical way to approach any issue in any setting: identify and define your problem, define your goal, identify the obstacles in the way of your achieving the goal, list several possible solutions to address the obstacles, consider the consequences of each solution, choose the best one(s) to try first, implement the solution and track your progress, evaluate the solution to see if it met your goal. I particularly like how she explains complex functions of the brain. For example, she likens emotional regulation for the neurotypical person to a dial knob and for the spectrum person an on/off switch. It was enormously helpful for me to learn how the autistic mind works and for those on the spectrum who are motivated to help themselves, this book could be invaluable.
Prince-Hughes, Dawn, ed. Aquamarine Blue 5: Personal Stories of College Students with Autism. (2002).
Appropriate for: Parents of those on the spectrum at any age
This book was a revelation. I spend so much time trying to understand the baffling autistic brain, I never truly thought about from my son’s perspective and how utterly baffling the neurotypical brain is. This collection of essays is written by those on the spectrum who went through college, many of whom were diagnosed in adulthood. The overarching theme is that autistic people can never change who they are and how they think. They can know what the social rules are and they can try to act “normal,” but it’s never comfortable and changing their behavior really goes against who they are. It would be like a neurotypical person trying to act autistic. The idea of changing isn’t really accurate; you can modify your behavior, but you never actually change. One essayist sums up his experience like this, “I’ve been asked many times if I could somehow be ‘cured’ would I want to be. If I did that, I would no longer be me. I don’t perceive anything wrong with what I am—the problem is with the way society relates to those like me. To ask if I would want to be ‘cured’ is to suggest that my life now is somehow of less value. This is the way I was born, this is what I am. Would anyone suggest a member of any other minority seek of ‘cure’?”
Most essayists point out how intolerant most “normals” are and that it’s the intolerance that actually makes being who they are so difficult and it’s the “normals” who should practice more “theory of mind” and perspective taking. All of the essayists struggle with not being understood. As far as their college experiences go, they did well academically so long as they were studying an area of intense interest. None seemed to be thinking ahead to a particular career path; college gave them an opportunity to study their preferred topics. The social demands were not as intense as before, so most of the essayists reverted to their social comfort levels of being alone or in very small groups.
Also very interesting is that most of the writers were diagnosed in adulthood to must relief and frustration that it hadn’t been done earlier. One writes that a child should be told as soon as possible, “The trauma of knowing does not even approach the trauma of growing up not knowing why the world is so difficult to comprehend.” This book is not all full of positive stories of triumph. It is extremely helpful to read primary accounts from autistic people, but all have suffered from and many still are. To get the insight into the autistic mind is invaluable (“aquamarine 5” refers to one writer’s synesthesia so she sees numbers and letters in color) It’s never an easy journey, but many have taken hold of their lives. They are all seeking to live as comfortably and as true to who they are as they can, and this means often not seeking independence and still not relating to “normals.” As a parent, it makes me really think why I want to change a behavior. Is it to make him more comfortable or me? This book is a sobering awakening.
Appropriate for: Parents of children on the spectrum who are curious about what happens after high school
Our children on the spectrum are part of the “early intervention” generation. We really have no idea what they will look like in ten years, just as probably ten years ago we couldn’t have imagined where our children are now with all the tools and knowledge that are out there now that weren’t at the time of diagnosis. A hot topic right now is the transition after high school. Will they go to college? Vocational school? Live independently? No one can answer these questions, but we can prepare ourselves as much as possible by finding out what resources are out there and what our children need to be prepared for whatever they want to do. Freedman presents the challenges those on the spectrum face in a college environment and suggests early preparation (for preschoolers to middle-schoolers) and later preparation (for older students and young adults). She emphasizes self-awareness (leading to self-advocacy) executive functioning, social skills, and the ability to regulate emotions and sensory issues, ask for help and support, focus on non-preferred activities, and care for oneself as key skills. However, even if your child has all of these abilities, you and your child must still decide whether or not college is the right course. She optimistically writes that college will always be an option for those who want to go, but she also realistically points out that to succeed a person on the spectrum will most likely need a college with basic levels of accommodation plus peer tutoring, assistance from a Disabilities Services Advisor, specific tutoring for time management and organizational skills, social skills groups, mentoring or coaching by peers or professionals, and ASD-specific counseling or psychotherapy. So, it’s possible but not easy. We didn’t think it would, did we? This book is a fantastic resource and worth reading before the panic of transition sets in.
Gaus, Valerie L., PhD. Living Well on the Spectrum: How to Use Your Strengths to Meet the Challenges of
Asperger Syndrome/High-Functioning Autism. (2011).
Appropriate for: People on the spectrum who are transitioning after high school who can self-advocate
This book is amazing in its scope, goals, and practicality. I hope when my son is a young adult he will read this and use it.
The first part of the book explains how the spectrum brain works and the second part helps the reader define the sources of his or her challenges and how to address them. The author really appeals to the spectrum brain in a very positive and constructive way. She instructs readers to be their own psychologists and look objectively at their strengths and challenges and accept what can and
cannot be changed. Her step-by-step problem solving technique is a clear, logical way to approach any issue in any setting: identify and define your problem, define your goal, identify the obstacles in the way of your achieving the goal, list several possible solutions to address the obstacles, consider the consequences of each solution, choose the best one(s) to try first, implement the solution and track your progress, evaluate the solution to see if it met your goal. I particularly like how she explains complex functions of the brain. For example, she likens emotional regulation for the neurotypical person to a dial knob and for the spectrum person an on/off switch. It was enormously helpful for me to learn how the autistic mind works and for those on the spectrum who are motivated to help themselves, this book could be invaluable.
Prince-Hughes, Dawn, ed. Aquamarine Blue 5: Personal Stories of College Students with Autism. (2002).
Appropriate for: Parents of those on the spectrum at any age
This book was a revelation. I spend so much time trying to understand the baffling autistic brain, I never truly thought about from my son’s perspective and how utterly baffling the neurotypical brain is. This collection of essays is written by those on the spectrum who went through college, many of whom were diagnosed in adulthood. The overarching theme is that autistic people can never change who they are and how they think. They can know what the social rules are and they can try to act “normal,” but it’s never comfortable and changing their behavior really goes against who they are. It would be like a neurotypical person trying to act autistic. The idea of changing isn’t really accurate; you can modify your behavior, but you never actually change. One essayist sums up his experience like this, “I’ve been asked many times if I could somehow be ‘cured’ would I want to be. If I did that, I would no longer be me. I don’t perceive anything wrong with what I am—the problem is with the way society relates to those like me. To ask if I would want to be ‘cured’ is to suggest that my life now is somehow of less value. This is the way I was born, this is what I am. Would anyone suggest a member of any other minority seek of ‘cure’?”
Most essayists point out how intolerant most “normals” are and that it’s the intolerance that actually makes being who they are so difficult and it’s the “normals” who should practice more “theory of mind” and perspective taking. All of the essayists struggle with not being understood. As far as their college experiences go, they did well academically so long as they were studying an area of intense interest. None seemed to be thinking ahead to a particular career path; college gave them an opportunity to study their preferred topics. The social demands were not as intense as before, so most of the essayists reverted to their social comfort levels of being alone or in very small groups.
Also very interesting is that most of the writers were diagnosed in adulthood to must relief and frustration that it hadn’t been done earlier. One writes that a child should be told as soon as possible, “The trauma of knowing does not even approach the trauma of growing up not knowing why the world is so difficult to comprehend.” This book is not all full of positive stories of triumph. It is extremely helpful to read primary accounts from autistic people, but all have suffered from and many still are. To get the insight into the autistic mind is invaluable (“aquamarine 5” refers to one writer’s synesthesia so she sees numbers and letters in color) It’s never an easy journey, but many have taken hold of their lives. They are all seeking to live as comfortably and as true to who they are as they can, and this means often not seeking independence and still not relating to “normals.” As a parent, it makes me really think why I want to change a behavior. Is it to make him more comfortable or me? This book is a sobering awakening.