How to Be Yourself in a World That's Different: An Asperger Syndrome Study Guide for Adolescents

by Yuko Yoshida

How to Be Yourself in a World that's Different is an accessible guide to Asperger's syndrome (AS) written for young readers who have been diagnosed with AS and autism spectrum conditions. The book features clear explanations of the condition, including symptoms that are common to people on the autism spectrum, such as a hypersensitivity to touch and difficulties with balance and coordination. The characteristics and symptoms of other syndromes that often coincide with AS are also discussed, for example AD/HD, learning disorders and tics, as well as the temporary states of mental dysfunction that people with AS tend to be predisposed to, including depression, anxiety, obsessive and compulsive behaviors and catatonia. This informative and encouraging text highlights the positive aspects of autism spectrum conditions, such as diligence, fairness and a knack for unique ideas, but it also acknowledges the daily challenges faced by young people with AS and, crucially, offers strategies for dealing with these. Using case examples, Yoshida explores the difficulties of disclosing a diagnosis, takes readers through the stages of practicing key social skills, and offers advice on seeking support.

Genres: Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Self Help

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Kesaria (Kesso) Abuladze · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great book for those looking for an introduction to ASD as it’s very informative, however, my problem is that the author spends so much time telling Autistic people how to accommodate neurotypicals. I feel like you should be working on eliminating ableism instead of telling neurodivergent people we need to mask better

[Kieran McLoughlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a little preface, I'm a 26 year old autistic guy who was curious of learning a fresh perspective on my disability. While obviously I'm a little older than this books target market what I will say is that this is quite a nice book for autistic teenagers. It's small, concise, and focuses much on looking upon autism in a positive light. The two main takeaways which I felt were good were specifically how it chose to look at the infamous triad of impairments, choosing to look at them as more of a dualistic concept which can be an enemy of you allow it to be, or a great strength if you choose. The second takeaway which I liked also concerned the idea of focusing on your weaknesses as a way of cultivating your true strengths. Again the positive approach was good. Ultimately, I gave this 3 stars because I'm not part of the target readership, meaning not as much applied to me, alongside the fact it's a reletively short read. A bit more expanding would've been useful.