Aspergirls

Wanted to share with you a favorite quote from the book Aspergirls, by Rudy Simone.

(I enjoyed this book & was given some insights on "Empowering Females with Asperger Syndrome". This book was recommended by Rachel's intervention teacher. Thank you, Jenn!):

"But telling a person with Asperger's to just 'get on with it' is like telling a person in a wheelchair to take the stairs if they want to get to the second floor." (page 57)

Some of the most well-meaning individuals, have guilted me for not "just make her do it; it's not a choice" kind of attitude. Many of these well-meaning people have used these words & let me know how disappointed they are in my parenting skills. It has done nothing positive! Please, if you don't understand and have not walked in these difficult shoes, don't judge and correct! You certainly wouldn't tell someone in a wheelchair to take the stairs, so please don't expect and advise someone with Asperger's to simply change, or speed up, or try harder, or... While they do need encouragement, they (& we parents) don't need your condemnation.

Thanks for letting me release a little frustration. For all you friends that are simply encouraging & helpful on this journey, THANK YOU! You help ease more pain than you know.

I do recommend this book. Especially to learn more about girls (the minority) with Asperger's Syndrome!

House Rules by Jodi Piccoult

   If you enjoy reading Jodi Piccoult and learning how Asperger's can affect the life of an Aspie, as well as their family, you might enjoy this book. It is fiction, but it certainly could happen & actually hits on a few of my fears/concerns for our future. Can you imagine law enforcement understanding an Aspie? Me neither!

                   Synopsis from back bookcover:

 

"When your son can’t look you in the eye . . . does that mean he’s guilty?    Jacob Hunt is a teen with Asperger’s syndrome. He’s hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, though he is brilliant in many ways. But he has a special focus on one subject—forensic analysis. A police scanner in his room clues him in to crime scenes, and he’s always showing up and telling the cops what to do. And he’s usually right.

    But when Jacob’s small hometown is rocked by a terrible murder, law enforcement comes to him. Jacob’s behaviors are hallmark Asperger’s, but they look a lot like guilt to the local police. Suddenly the Hunt family, who only want to fit in, are directly in the spotlight. For Jacob’s mother, Emma, it’s a brutal reminder of the intolerance and misunderstanding that always threaten her family. For his brother, Theo, it’s another indication why nothing is normal because of Jacob.

   And over this small family, the soul-searing question looms: Did Jacob commit murder?"                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine -a must read

     Wanted to share with you an exceptional book! I was recently at the beloved Davis-Kidd bookstore closing sale in Nashville. Above the many treasures I found heavily discounted, was a recommendation by the lady checking my piles of books out. She noticed several books on special needs/ Autism... And out of the blue, asked me if I had read Mockingbird, yet. After telling her I had not even heard of it, she informed me it was about a young girl with Asperger's, and continued on, telling me how much it changed the way she understood Asperger's and differences in thinking. That was enough for me.

   They were already sold out, but as soon as I got back to Florida, I went to Barnes & Noble & found this treasure! If you are interested in a good read, this is one! (it is currently on sale at Barnes & Noble on-line) I read it in an afternoon. Could not put it down until I finished it! Although it is fictional, the author did a lot of research on Asperger's & completely nailed it! I felt like I knew this little girl, Caitlin. And I also realized I'm not alone in raising an Aspie. Although there are a wide range of characteristics, some things are just "black and white"! I am sharing a quote from the author's website regarding/introducing the book.

              "MOCKINGBIRD  (National Book Award, 2010)

 In Caitlin’s world, everything is black or white.  Things are good or bad.  Anything in between is confusing.  That’s the stuff Caitlin’s older brother, Devon, has always explained.  But now Devon’s dead, and her father cries a lot.  Caitlin wants to get over it, but as an eleven-year-old girl with Asperger’s, she doesn’t know how.  When she reads the definition of “closure” in the dictionary, she realizes that is what she and her father need.  In her search for Closure, Caitlin discovers that not everything is black and white--the world is full of colors--messy and beautiful, and it is through this discovery that she embarks on a road which leads her to find both healing and Closure."

         If you do get the book & read it, I would love to get your take on it. And, if you have any other books that you recommend, please share them with us. Thank you for your support & encouragement!