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A Special Book About Me: A Book for Children Diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome ISBN: 9781843106555
Santomauro, Josie
Published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2009
This slim booklet is aimed at children who have just been diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome. While I never found the promised 'poems and stories', I did find a lot of interesting information, coping strategies, illustrations and activities. The booklet begins with a description of a child with AS and some of the differences he or she may experience. This is treated as a mystery, with clues and a statement of 'the case'. When the mystery is solved, it is the reader who is the answer - the child who has just been diagnosed. Acrostics are explained and used throughout to identify possible traits that a child with AS might have. A closer look at AS explains in detail many of these traits - anger, stress, speech and language problems, distraction, confusing reality with fiction, poor motor skills, odd behaviour, dislike of change, lack of social skills, high intelligence, lack of eye contact, dislike of noises and crowds, rote memory, obsessiveness, lack of empathy, and difficulty in making friends. However, positive aspects are emphasised too, and there's lots of advice on helping oneself - charts, diaries, a positive outlook, etc. Little figures throughout help the information along, and there is much here to comfort and help the newly diagnosed child or young person and his/her parents. Available from Amazon, good book shops, or from the publisher at www.jkp.com.
Age: 10+