My Autistic Awakening


Book Description

Rachael Lee Harris spent her early childhood locked in an autistic fog until beginning her journey from a fragmented world to one in which things began to make sense. Rachael’s determination to take her place in society led her down many paths, from beauty therapist to Catholic nun, from mother and wife to divorcee and working mom. Today, she is a psychotherapist specializing in helping others on the Autism Spectrum. Rachael’s story explores areas such as schooling, family relationships, employment, travel, and faith culminating in monastic life, motherhood, dating, and marriage. Through her story, we get a more “rounded” positive vision of how an autistic life can develop and insight into the benefits of being “on the spectrum” alongside the very real picture of its challenges. Addressing the culture of disability and negativity that surrounds so much of the public perception of the Autism Spectrum, Rachael presents a more moderate and perhaps more objective assessment of her own life experiences, as well as the potential for others on the Spectrum.




Awakened by Autism


Book Description

When she was told that her 20-month-old son had autism, Dr. Andrea Libutti was devastated. Therapists said he would never communicate with others, nor would he ever form meaningful relationships. Still, Andrea refused to accept that dim prognosis and instead embarked on a years-long journey of discovery and healing. Using her position as a physician to gain access to a variety of specialists, she explored every promising biomedical and behavioral therapy. Eventually, she came to see that we must consider autism not just from a physical perspective but from an emotional and spiritual one as well. In Awakened by Autism, Andrea distills the results of the research she undertook and relays her personal experiences as she tried one treatment after another in search of a way to help her son. She shares her understanding of the multifactorial nature of autism and the problems inherent in how many health-care professionals view the disorder—all culminating in her ultimate revelation: that each child has unique needs and requires a personalized plan for healing. More than just a practical guide to our children’s health, Awakened by Autism is a starting point for healing ourselves and our world. It calls for a paradigm shift surrounding our beliefs about the possibilities for those with autism, allowing us to uncover their hidden brilliance while taking steps to improve their well-being. With the help of this book, we can heal our families beyond all expectations.




Switched On


Book Description

An extraordinary memoir about the cutting-edge brain therapy that dramatically changed the life and mind of John Elder Robison, the New York Times bestselling author of Look Me in the Eye NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE WASHINGTON POST Imagine spending the first forty years of your life in darkness, blind to the emotions and social signals of other people. Then imagine that someone suddenly switches the lights on. It has long been assumed that people living with autism are born with the diminished ability to read the emotions of others, even as they feel emotion deeply. But what if we’ve been wrong all this time? What if that “missing” emotional insight was there all along, locked away and inaccessible in the mind? In 2007 John Elder Robison wrote the international bestseller Look Me in the Eye, a memoir about growing up with Asperger’s syndrome. Amid the blaze of publicity that followed, he received a unique invitation: Would John like to take part in a study led by one of the world’s foremost neuroscientists, who would use an experimental new brain therapy known as TMS, or transcranial magnetic stimulation, in an effort to understand and then address the issues at the heart of autism? Switched On is the extraordinary story of what happened next. Having spent forty years as a social outcast, misreading others’ emotions or missing them completely, John is suddenly able to sense a powerful range of feelings in other people. However, this newfound insight brings unforeseen problems and serious questions. As the emotional ground shifts beneath his feet, John struggles with the very real possibility that choosing to diminish his disability might also mean sacrificing his unique gifts and even some of his closest relationships. Switched On is a real-life Flowers for Algernon, a fascinating and intimate window into what it means to be neurologically different, and what happens when the world as you know it is upended overnight. Praise for Switched On “An eye-opening book with a radical message . . . The transformations [Robison] undergoes throughout the book are astonishing—as foreign and overwhelming as if he woke up one morning with the visual range of a bee or the auditory prowess of a bat.”—The New York Times “Astonishing, brave . . . reads like a medical thriller and keeps you wondering what will happen next . . . [Robison] takes readers for a ride through the thorny thickets of neuroscience and leaves us wanting more.”—The Washington Post “Fascinating for its insights into Asperger’s and research, this engrossing record will make readers reexamine their preconceptions about this syndrome and the future of brain manipulation.”—Booklist “Like books by Andrew Solomon and Oliver Sacks, Switched On offers an opportunity to consider mental processes through a combination of powerful narrative and informative medical context.”—BookPage “A mind-blowing book that will force you to ask deep questions about what is important in life. Would normalizing the brains of those who think differently reduce their motivation for great achievement?”—Temple Grandin, author of The Autistic Brain “At the heart of Switched On are fundamental questions of who we are, of where our identity resides, of difference and disability and free will, which are brought into sharp focus by Robison’s lived experience.”—Graeme Simsion, author of The Rosie Effect




Look Me in the Eye


Book Description

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “As sweet and funny and sad and true and heartfelt a memoir as one could find.” —from the foreword by Augusten Burroughs Ever since he was young, John Robison longed to connect with other people, but by the time he was a teenager, his odd habits—an inclination to blurt out non sequiturs, avoid eye contact, dismantle radios, and dig five-foot holes (and stick his younger brother, Augusten Burroughs, in them)—had earned him the label “social deviant.” It was not until he was forty that he was diagnosed with a form of autism called Asperger’s syndrome. That understanding transformed the way he saw himself—and the world. A born storyteller, Robison has written a moving, darkly funny memoir about a life that has taken him from developing exploding guitars for KISS to building a family of his own. It’s a strange, sly, indelible account—sometimes alien yet always deeply human.




Autism


Book Description

This title is intended for advanced undergraduate and masters level students in psychology; professional clinical, developmental and educational psychologists; general practitioners and others with a special interest in children; careworkers; and parents of autistic children.




Kids Beyond Limits


Book Description

Discover the revolutionary way to harness the brain's capacity to heal itself Supported by the latest brain research, The Anat Baniel Method uses simple, gentle movements and focus to help any child, who has been diagnosed with autism, Asperger's Syndrome, ADHD, Cerebral Palsy or other developmental disorders. In this supportive and hands-on book, Anat Baniel guides parents through the nine essentials of the method, each one designed to harness the brain's capacity to heal itself -- with remarkable and sometimes immediate results. By shifting the focus to connecting rather than "fixing," this powerful yet simple method helps both children and parents to de- stress, focus, and grow. Most of all, the it helps all children maximize their potential, no matter what their diagnosis.




Label Me: My Journey Towards an Autism Diagnosis: My Journey Towards an Aut


Book Description

''This is an incredibly important book. A spectacular insight into how girls and women with autism slip through the net, and an inspiring journey of personal awakening. This will be a life-changing read for a great many people, not just those on the autism spectrum'' - Catherine Quinn, Bestselling Author "Francesca Baird's wry but revealing memoir makes a strong case for self-knowledge, as well as further research into the heavily misunderstood condition of female autism. By turns hilarious and melancholy, Label Me should offer encouragement, not only to autistic women, but to any reader who is neuroatypical and trying to understand their own behaviour and feelings'' - Gavin Boyter, Author & Filmmaker "From an early age, I felt different. I had unusual obsessions, and didn't feel I fitted in with the other girls. Others saw me as a shy girl, who functioned well, but internally I was consumed by anxieties... But I did what I had to do to fit into the normal world..." Francesca was diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder at the age of 32, having spent many years searching for answers (and being misdiagnosed numerous times along the way). Autism in girls like her is often overlooked, partly because they tend to be better at "masking" their autistic traits than boys. This is the story of how she came to recognise that she was "different", how she coped with the anxiety, emotional suppression, and self-destructive addictions she experienced, and how finding a "label" helped her to understand her life in a new way.




The Electricity of Every Living Thing


Book Description

The New York Times bestselling author of Wintering writes a life-affirming exploration of wild landscapes, what it means to be different and, above all, how we can all learn to make peace with our own unquiet minds . . . In anticipation of her 38th birthday, Katherine May set out to walk the 630-mile South West Coast Path. She wanted time alone, in nature, to understand why she had stopped coping with everyday life; why motherhood had been so overwhelming and isolating; and why the world felt full of expectations she couldn't meet. She was also reeling from a chance encounter with a voice on the radio that sparked her realisation that she might be autistic. And so begins a trek along the ruggedly beautiful but difficult path by the sea that takes readers through the alternatingly frustrating, funny, and enlightening experience of re-awakening to the world around us… The Electricity of Every Living Thing sees Katherine come to terms with that diagnosis leading her to re-evaluate her life so far — with a much kinder, more forgiving eye. We bear witness to a new understanding that finally allows her to be different rather than simply awkward, arrogant or unfeeling. The physical and psychological journeys of this joyous and inspiring book become inextricably entwined, and as Katherine finds her way across the untameable coast, we learn alongside her how to find our way back to our own true selves.




The Autistic Mind Finally Speaks


Book Description

After twenty four years of living in silence, Gregory Tino, a young man with non-speaking autism learns to communicate using a letterboard. By discovering his voice, Gregory teaches us about the disorder of autism from the inside out. He dispels some of the current beliefs of autism, explains the reasons behind many of its common behaviors, and teaches us how we can best handle the challenges of autism. This book is a compilation of his thoughts, experiences, teachings and poetry and is illustrated by his autistic peers. After years of being viewed as having the intellect of a toddler, Gregory has become an exceptionally poignant and eloquent self-taught writer. This book will make its readers laugh, cry, and most importantly change their perception of the misunderstood disorder of autism.




Everyday Aspergers


Book Description

@page { margin: 2cm } p { margin-bottom: 0.21cm } a:link { color: #0000ff } Through 150 entries, Samantha Craft presents a life of humorous faux pas, profound insights, and the everyday adventures of an autistic female. In her vivid world, nothing is simple and everything appears pertinent. Even an average trip to the grocery store is a feat and cause for reflection. From being a dyslexic cheerleader with dyspraxia going the wrong direction, to bathroom stalking, to figuring out if she can wear that panty-free dress, Craft explores the profoundness of daily living through hilarious anecdotes and heart-warming childhood memories. Ten years in the making, Craft’s revealing memoir brings Asperger’s Syndrome into a spectrum of brilliant light—exposing the day-to-day interactions and complex inner workings of an autistic female from childhood to midlife.




Recent Books