Authors: Luke Jackson, Tony Attwood
ISBN-13: 9781843100980, ISBN-10: 1843100983
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Kingsley, Jessica Publishers
Date Published: June 2002
Edition: 1st Edition
Have you ever been called a freak or a geek? Have you ever felt like one? Luke Jackson is 13 years old and has Asperger Syndrome. Over the years Luke has learned to laugh at such names but there are other aspects of life which are more difficult. Adolescence and the teenage years are a minefield of emotions, transitions and decisions and when a child has Asperger Syndrome, the result is often explosive.
Luke has three sisters and one brother in various stages of their adolescent and teenage years but he is acutely aware of just how different he is and how little information is available for adolescents like himself.
Drawing from his own experiences and gaining information from his teenage brother and sisters, he wrote this enlightening, honest and witty book in an attempt to address difficult topics such as bullying, friendships, when and how to tell others about AS, school problems, dating and relationships, and morality.
Luke writes briefly about his younger autistic and AD/HD brothers, providing amusing insights into the antics of his younger years and advice for parents, carers and teachers of younger AS children. However, his main reason for writing was because "so many books are written about us, but none are written directly to adolescents with Asperger Syndrome. I thought I would write one in the hope that we could all learn together."
Jackson, a 13-year-old from the UK, is one of seven children. He has Asperger Syndrome (AS), one of his brothers has AD/HD, and another is autistic. Jackson's conversational and humorous text offers helpful insights into the challenges faced by those with AS, on such topics as fascinations and fixations, sensory perception, diet, sleep, teenage language, problems with socializing at school, homework, dealing with bullies, dating, and moral dilemmas. Written for adolescents with AS, and for their parents. Distributed by Taylor & Francis. Jackson is also author of A User Guide to the GF/CF Diet for Autism, Asperger Syndrome and AD/HD. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Foreword | 9 | |
Acknowledgements | 11 | |
1 | An Introduction - Me and My Family | 13 |
2 | Asperger Syndrome and the Autistic Spectrum | 19 |
3 | To Tell or Not to Tell? | 30 |
4 | Fascinations and Fixations | 43 |
5 | Sense and Sense Abilities | 60 |
6 | A Different Physiology | 77 |
7 | A Word About Sleep | 86 |
8 | Language and Learning | 99 |
9 | The Problem with School... | 113 |
10 | Bullying | 135 |
11 | Taekwondo | 154 |
12 | Friendships and Socializing | 163 |
13 | The Dating Game | 170 |
14 | Morals and Principles - Representation and Reality | 179 |
15 | One Final and Positive Note | 188 |
Idioms - an Explanation | 192 | |
Further Reading | 197 | |
Useful Addresses and Websites | 199 | |
Index | 205 |