Asperger Syndrome and Adolescence: Helping Preteens & Teens Get Ready for the Real World

by Teresa Bolick

Sex. Slang. Slumber parties. The preoccupations of adolescents with Asperger Syndrome are no different than those of other teens, but they can be much more confusing. The lack of social skills and ability to grasp conversational nuances that characterize AS make adolescence the most difficult life stage. Asperger Syndrome is characterized by a reliance on clear guidelines, and in adolescence the social guidelines become murky and confusing. In Asperger Syndrome and Adolescence , child psychologist Teresa Bolick presents strategies for helping the ten to eighteen-year-old achieve happiness and success by maximizing the benefits of AS and minimizing the drawbacks. You'll Along the way, you'll be inspired by success stories of dozens of AS teens. With the help of this book, you'll learn that it is possible for an adolescent with Asperger Syndrome to achieve unimaginable success.

Genres: Nonfiction, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Aspergers, Parenting

192 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2001

Reviews

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly one of the BEST books about AS that I've ever read. Gets to the point quickly, uses great case studies, and provides concrete suggestions on ways to deal with tricky AS symptoms. Really a great book, and I look forward to incorporating some of her suggestions into my work.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and helpful.

[Mike Salvatierra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of helpful information, even if the Aspergers label is outdated. As you might expect, some chapters are more helpful than others, depending on the particular kid or kids in mind while reading. I particularly enjoyed the sections on self-regulation and executive function.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some really helpful suggestions here. Even though this is 20 years old and we're not supposed to use Asperger's anymore, I found this really relevant in helping my son with some of the issues he struggles with, especially with peers and reading social cues and communication styles.

[Patti Nicholson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and concise. I liked the individual stories of teens throughout the book. Their stories helped bring to life the symptoms of high functioning autism in a teen.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was one of the most helpful books in helping my family understand how my son's needs were changing during adolescence. It is a super informative book with information that is so easy to understand,

[George Canning, Sr. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This gives a lot of practical information to any parent, teacher, or counselor who works with AS (Asperger's Syndrome) or high functioning autism. It is meant for parents of autistic teens and how to help them as they face the challenges of their teen years. It deals with topics as being organized, getting around socially, surviving academically and in the world of work, love and romance, hobbies and passions. It gives practical suggestions and real life scenarios that deal with issues. I recommend this.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author did a great job of clearly stating and recognizing the social difficulties of Asperger's. I felt some of the suggestions were good, but would have liked more concrete examples of how to execute the suggestions. The social skills rules "LISTS" towards the end are worth copying and posting as guidelines.

[Tella · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a very good reference imho. Frequently condescending or oversimplified. There were some useful points here and there, but I guess most of it was aimed at younger and even less experienced audiences.

[Marge · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent resource for someone with AS or parents, teachers and others that may have to suggest options for social encounters. Adolescence is a difficult time for most, ubut with the intensive social aspect of those years, any input into these encounters are valuable.

[John Hedrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practical strategies and insightful advice from the real world experiences of parents and children with Asperger's navigating adolescence together. A must-read resource for anyone parenting a child with AS.

[Dawn Trlak-Donahue · Rating 2 out of 5]

The same advice is offered in most AS books and articles-nothing much new.

[Bridgett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of the advice in this book I already knew about, and a lot of it I don't relate to, despite being autistic. It's probably more helpful about autistic people of a different type from me.

[Connie D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent useful advice.

[Angela Sunshine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really helpful since I'm just starting to figure out Asperger Syndrome...