The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome is the definitive handbook for anyone affected by Asperger's syndrome (AS). Now including a new introduction explaining the impact of DSM-5 on the diagnosis and approach to AS, it brings together a wealth of information on all aspects of the syndrome for children through to adults.

Drawing on case studies and personal accounts from Attwood's extensive clinical experience, and from his correspondence with individuals with AS, this book is both authoritative and extremely accessible. Chapters examine:

* causes and indications of the syndrome
* the diagnosis and its effect on the individual
* theory of mind
* the perception of emotions in self and others
* social interaction, including friendships
* long-term relationships
* teasing, bullying and mental health issues
* the effect of AS on language and cognitive abilities, sensory sensitivity, movement and co-ordination skills
* career development.

There is also an invaluable frequently asked questions chapter and a section listing useful resources for anyone wishing to find further information on a particular aspect of AS, as well as literature and educational tools.

Essential reading for families and individuals affected by AS as well as teachers, professionals and employers coming in contact with people with AS, this book should be on the bookshelf of anyone who needs to know or is interested in this complex condition.

'I usually say to the child, Congratulations, you have Asperger's syndrome, and explain that this means he or she is not mad, bad or defective, but has a different way of thinking.'
- from The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome

Positive, practical and realistic, this book offers a wealth of information on women, dating and relationships for men with Asperger Syndrome (AS).

Many AS men are totally confused and bewildered by women and relationships and find it hard to know what to do, what to say and how to get it right. For these men, understanding the emotional side to relationships and women's needs can be a complete mystery and they often get it disastrously wrong. This practical handbook provides the answers to Asperger men's most frequently asked questions about women, dating and relationships, helping them to understand the way relationships work and increasing their confidence and ability to have successful relationships.

This comprehensive handbook is essential reading for men with Asperger Syndrome (and their partners). It will also be of immeasurable use to counsellors and other professionals working with such individuals.

Does your other half have Asperger Syndrome or do you suspect that he or she is on the autism spectrum? This quick and helpful relationships guide provides all the information you need for relationship success with your ASD partner.

In the second edition of this best-selling book, Maxine Aston draws on over a decade of experience working with couples affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder. Updates include reference to recent research and information on same sex relationships, sensory issues and pregnancy. Full of bite-size tips and advice, the book explains Asperger Syndrome, discusses whether or not seeking an autism diagnosis will help, and offers simple strategies for coping with a range of relationship challenges including communication, social, and intimacy difficulties.

Tony Attwood's guide will assist parents and professionals with the identification, treatment and care of both children and adults with Asperger's Syndrome. The book provides a description and analysis of the unusual characteristics of the syndrome and practical strategies to reduce those that are most conspicuous or debilitating. Beginning with a chapter on diagnosis, including an assessment test, the book covers all aspects of the syndrome from language to social behaviour and motor clumsiness, concluding with a chapter based on the questions most frequently asked by those who come into contact with individuals with this syndrome.

Covering the available literature in full, this guide brings together the most relevant and useful information on Asperger's Syndrome, incorporating case studies from the author's own practical experience as a Clinical Psychologist, with examples of, and numerous quotations from people with Asperger's Syndrome.

Adults with Asperger Syndrome (AS) often have difficulties acquiring relationship skills due to the defining characteristics of the syndrome, experiences with peers during childhood and adolescence, and the expectations of their partners. However, an increasing number do go on to achieve happy and successful long-term relationships with non-spectrum (NS) partners.

This supportive book will give NS partners a better understanding of NS/AS relationships, and of what other NS partners have found to be helpful in terms of better understanding themselves and their partners, and enriching their relationships. Drawing on interviews with over 100 people in NS/AS relationships, as well as on their own experiences of having family members on the autism spectrum, the authors explore the key differences which may impact upon AS/NS relationships, such as communication, social skills, and sensory issues, and offer tried-and-tested advice on how to surmount difficulties and make things work. The book includes chapters on coping with stress and meltdowns, parenting, positive AS qualities and how to use them to their full advantage in a relationship, as well as advice on how the NS partner can ensure that their own needs are met.

This book will provide support and encouragement to those in a relationship with someone who has been diagnosed with AS, or who is suspected of having AS, and will also be a useful resource for counsellors and other professionals who wish to deepen their understanding of AS/NS relationships.

Young children with autism have particular difficulty in understanding and controlling their emotions, especially when those emotions are negative. This practical manual for professionals provides a set of simple strategies to help children with high-functioning autism or Asperger's syndrome who suffer from mood difficulties to decrease negative feelings and increase positive feelings in daily life.

Using a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy approach, The Stress and Anger Management Program (STAMP) is designed specifically for young children in their pre-school and early school years. The book outlines a 9-session group program using methods, games and activities that are developmentally appropriate. Treatment components include affective education, cognitive restructuring, social and group stories, and the emotional toolbox. The group therapy can be tailored for individual therapy when needed. A parental component is also included to support practice at home and promote generalization outside of the classroom or therapy setting.

This is a dynamic and effective resource for professionals working with young children with autism spectrum disorders including teachers, guidance counselors, psychologists, speech therapists, behavioral therapists, occupational therapists, and social workers.

For people with ASDs, depression is common, and has particular features and causes. This outstanding book provides a comprehensive review of these aspects, and an effective self-help guide for anyone with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affected by depression.

Written by the leading experts in the field, the book explains and describes depression, the forms it can take, and how it looks and feels for a person on the autism spectrum. The authors draw on the latest thinking and research to suggest strategies for coping with the effects of depression and provide a complete step-by-step CBT self-help programme, designed specifically for individuals with ASDs. The programme helps increase self-awareness, including identifying personal triggers, and provides the tools to combat depression.

This fun and inspiring step-by-step program provides the full set of tools for developing social understanding in children with Asperger Syndrome (AS) through drama.

Cindy B. Schneider explains how the central processes in acting - including making and interpreting inferences from non-verbal cues, taking another's perspective, and formulating language - can be highly effective ways of addressing social cognition deficits in children with AS. Acting Antics contains a wide repertoire of activities and ideas for immediate application at home, in the classroom, in therapy workshops or social groups, ranging from initial warm up techniques, through paired activities, to larger group scenes and staging a show. Helpful appendices provide questionnaire forms to enable both the child and the program leader to assess and monitor the child's understanding of their roles, along with reproducible scripts and suitable scene designs.

This complete, practical program provides a wealth of enjoyable educational ideas for parents, teachers, and therapists of children with Asperger Syndrome.

Autism was not a recognised disorder in Jane Austen's lifetime, nor for well over a century after her death. However there were certainly people who had autism, and Phyllis Ferguson Bottomer proposes that Austen wrote about them, without knowing what it was that she was describing.

So Odd a Mixture looks at eight seemingly diverse characters in Austen's classic novel, Pride and Prejudice, who display autistic traits. These characters - five in the Bennet family and three in the extended family of the Fitzwilliams - have fundamental difficulties with communication, empathy and theory of mind. Perhaps it is high-functioning autism or Asperger's Syndrome that provides an explanation for some characters' awkward behaviour at crowded balls, their frequent silences or their tendency to lapse into monologues rather than truly converse with others.

This fascinating book will provide food for thought for students and fans of Austen's classic novel, and for anyone interested in autism spectrum disorders.

Joshua Muggleton knows from personal experience what it is like to grow up feeling like 'a Martian marooned on planet Earth'. Now 22 and studying psychology at the University of St. Andrews, he combines his insights into what it means to have Asperger Syndrome (AS) with his scientific knowledge of the autism spectrum to write an invaluable guide for parents and teachers.

Opening with the very basics of what autism is, Joshua covers mental health, sensory issues, obsessions and rituals, friendships and social situations, and shopping, travelling, and holidays, before tackling what is arguably the biggest challenge of any Aspie child's life: school - and with it, bullying, homework, and other challenges. Providing the inside track on Asperger Syndrome in childhood, he describes practical ways in which parents and teachers can help, and offers a wealth of advice and helpful hints and tips for approaching common difficulties.

An essential guide for any parent or teacher wishing to understand and help a child with Asperger Syndrome or high-functioning autism, Raising Martians will take them from crash-landing to leaving home.

Every child's education relies on a partnership between parents, professionals and, of course, the child. This book gives parents of children with Asperger syndrome (AS) practical advice on how to make the most of this important partnership and work with schools to ensure their child's needs are being met.

The book explores how parents can prepare their child for school life and how they can work with teachers to improve the classroom environment, as well as the school environment as a whole, for their child and consequently for the benefit of all pupils. Strategies include peer education, the use of visual cues and rules and effective communication between parents, teachers and support staff.

This clear, accessible book will be an invaluable guide for parents of children with AS and will also be of interest to the teachers and educational professionals who work with them.

For people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), the stresses of coping with a world that often seems alien to them can frequently lead to depression. Written specifically for adults with ASD, this ground-breaking book offers accessible and sensitive advice on how to manage depression and make positive steps towards recovery.

Nick Dubin shares his own experiences of depression including how he has dealt with it, and everything from initial feelings of anger and frustration to medication, cognitive behavioural therapy and overcoming 'the dark night of the soul'. It explores the aspects of everyday life that can cause people with ASD to feel low, explains how this can escalate and looks at ways in which depression can be prevented. With a chapter on suicide and interviews with his parents, the book provides real, practical solutions to a problem that is often overlooked.