A fascinating collection of real-life personal profiles, The Myriad Gifts of Asperger's Syndrome focuses on the talents, abilities, and achievements of individuals with Asperger's Syndrome (AS). Vaschel has a remarkable connection with animals; Richard can tell the weight of any item he lifts to the nearest tenth of a pound; two-year-old Hannah detected a dangerously faulty electrical circuit in her family home; and eight-year-old Clark became conversant in French after only an evening's study. What connects these individuals? They all have AS. John M. Ortiz celebrates the qualities of individuals with AS he has met through his clinical experience, including their characteristic tenacity, honesty, and attention to detail, and looks also at the wide range of careers they have chosen and in which they flourish. This uplifting book should be read and enjoyed by anyone who knows or works professionally with individuals with AS, and anyone with an interest in the subject.

Woven around her first person experiences and scholarly references, is insight on many of the questions and concerns females with AS surely experience at some point in their life...lovely time spent with a friend...a teaching tool for women and their supporters...a read everyone can enjoy on a number of levels. - from the foreword Kristi Hubbard gives summaries of over a decade of intensive research on autism spectrum conditions. She offers insight, advice, encouragement, understanding, solutions and suggestions for girls and women with Asperger's. She found out she had Asperger's Syndrome when she was in graduate school and shares her challenging experiences growing up and in adulthood. She offers insight with her experiences helping children who have autism, and sets forth her search for the truth of what Asperger's really is, where it came from and the discovery of methods to have a happy, joyful and successful life. She also offers insight for caregivers, teachers and any other professional or family member to better understand and help girls with Asperger's. Read this book to learn: · Sex differences in Asperger's · Early signs detecting Asperger's · Insight on more than 21 Asperger's traits · How to overcome sensory issues · How to overcome social difficulties · Tips on making friends and keeping them · Solutions on more than 26 common life issues · Methods to have a happier family life living with Asperger's · Better understanding of the meaning and purpose in life · Numerous helpful resources for those with Asperger's · How to prevent or decrease the chances of your child from developing Autism

Originally published: The gifts of Asperger's syndrome. Dillsburg, PA: Asperger's Syndrome Institute, 2005.

Provides information for learning disabled students and their families to understand the services they need, identify goals, and select an appropriate college to match individual needs.

Natural Genius: The Gifts of Asperger's Syndrome is Susan Rubinyi's story of raising her son Ben who has Asperger's Syndrome (AS), and how she has come to view his condition as a blessing. While acknowledging the challenges posed by AS, she emphasizes the extraordinary positives of her son's life and his particular gifts - his photographic memory, perfect pitch and French-English bilingual abilities.

Alfred Kinsey, world famous American sexologist whose life is portrayed in the 2005 movie Kinsey had it. Stanley Kubrick, one of the most important and influential filmmakers of the last century and director of cinematic masterpieces such as Clockwork Orange, Lolita, and 2001 - Space Odyssey, fits the diagnosis. Undoubtedly, Patricia Highsmith, renowned writer of crime fiction, particularly the Ripley novels suffered from it. Likewise, Charles Darwin, one of the most influential and revolutionary scientist of all times as well as Bertrand Russell, foremost philosopher and mathematician of the 20th century meet diagnostic criteria for Asperger syndrome. Other less well known personalities such as the Swiss writer Robert Walser, Joy Adamson famous for her work with animals in Africa, the controversial British politician Enoch Powell, the gifted mathematician Kurt Godel and the American child prodigy William James Sidis are also linked to the condition. Asperger syndrome is a neuropsychiatric condition, a lifelong and pervasive developmental disorder, which sometimes is associated with high intelligence and creativity. very little emphasis on special strengths or talents. Some individuals with Asperger Syndrome are extremely successful in their area of expertise and lead fulfilling lives despite or because of their condition while others are considered failures and life for them is an endless struggle on the margins of society. For some, Asperger syndrome appears to be a gift, for others a curse. In order to address this issue, the authors analyse the life histories of ten historical and contemporary figures from the world of literature, film, politics, science, philosophy and mathematics who had Asperger syndrome, against the backdrop of neuropsychological theories of autism/Asperger syndrome, latest neurobiological research data and current interpretation of special gifts and assets. They also advance a new hypothesis of Asperger syndrome as a disorder of the social self based on right hemisphere dysfunction, and demonstrate that the impact of the disorder on the development of the Self of each individual manifests itself in very distinct ways.

Arguing that highly creative people are largely ?born and not made, ? the authors of Genius Genes: How Asperger Talents Changed the World present case studies of the lives of 21 famous individuals, tying their personalities, talents and lifestyles to the major characteristics of Asperger Syndrome. Subjects range from the well-known to some more obscure, including political/military figures (Thomas Jefferson, Thomas ?Stonewall? Jackson, Bernard Law Montgomery and Charles de Gaulle), mathematicians (Archimedes, Charles Babbage, Paul Erd?s, Norbert Wiener, David Hilbert, and Kurt G?del), scientists (Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Nikola Tesla, Henry Cavendish and Gregor Mendel), writers (Gerard Manley Hopkins and H. G. Wells), plus maverick aviator Charles Lindbergh, psychologist John Broadus Watson and sexologist Alfred C. Kinsey.

This is an excellent travelers' guide because it is written by people who have been there. The stories are enthralling and the authors' experiences enable us to understand the culture and perspective of people with autistic spectrum disorder. This book is recommended for anyone who has embarked on a journey to explore a part of our world that we have only recently discovered.' - from the foreword by Tony Attwood 'I had a great many of my hunches and hopes confirmed when I read the words of the generous parents, and their even more generous children, who contributed to this book ... Most important, I learned it is possible to be inspired to see the glass as half full, no matter how many leaks there seem to be in the cup ... I believe the community who reads this book will join me in thanking those who wrote it, for their courage, their wit and their plethora of ideas.' - from the foreword by Liane Holliday Willey For the families who have contributed to this book, living with autism spectrum disorders has been a journey of self-discovery. With honesty and humor, they describe the ways autism has affected their daily lives, the challenges they have faced and the approaches they have found beneficial. They share their practical and original strategies for dealing with issues such as helping children to develop empathy and humor, developing and maintaining friendships and explaining their autism spectrum disorders to other people. This book will be a source of advice and inspiration for families of children with autism and the professionals who work with them. It is practical, realistic and positive - autism is seen as something to be understood and celebrated. As 11-year-old Glen states in the Appendix, written by some of the children with autism featured in the book: 'I like myself and consider my difference something positive.' Linda Andron is a licensed clinical social worker, Adjunct Lecturer in Psychiatry and Bio-Behavioural Sciences and Clinical Instructor at the University of California at Los Angeles. She is the director of the UCLA Family Support Community Program and the clinical director of the Center for Asperger's Assessment and Intervention at the HELP Group. She has worked with over 500 families of children with High Functioning Autism and Asperger Syndrome and is a member of the Professional Advisory Board of the Autism Society of Los Angeles. She has written many articles and chapters on developmental disabilities.