Product Description

Autobiography of a woman and her child diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. Author shares her daily struggles and challenges. Includes appendices providing coping strategies and guidance. For the general reader as well as professionals. Softcover.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #31331 in Books
• Published on: 1999-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 173 pages

From Kirkus Reviews
Asperger's Syndrome is one of the constellation of conditions known as autism. As both Willey and her young daughter have AS, her life story provides a startling look at how those with the syndrome experience the world. Willey grew up knowing only that she was somehow different, extremely intelligent, and extremely quirkybut accepted and valuedseems to have been the assessment of her parents, physicians, and others early in her life. Her peculiaritiesinability to find her way in unfamiliar places, and extreme aversion to people coming too close to her, to noise, to confusionbecame a devastating issue when she left home for the unfamiliar environment of college. From then on, Willey struggled mightily until she reached the safe haven of marriage to an outstandingly sympathetic partner, a fulfilling job teaching college, and motherhood. When her own daughter, one of twins, was diagnosed as an infant with Asperger's Syndrome, Willey immediately recognized herself: ``social action impairments, narrow interests, an insistence on repetitive routines, speech and language peculiarities, non-verbal communication problems and motor clumsiness . . . each of these symptoms is manifested in a variety of unique and diverse ways.'' Willey here compares her own experiences with her daughter's, her daughter's with her twin sister, who doesn't have AS, and the childhood peak in intensity of her daughter's symptoms with her own waning symptoms in middle age. In her appendices Willey offers extensive practical help and resources to AS sufferers. But even those not directly affected by AS will find this an eye-opening view into a parallel world. -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Review
Asperger's Syndrome is one of the constellation of conditions known as autism. As both Willey and her young daughter have AS, her life story provides a startling look at how those with the syndrome experience the world. Willey grew up knowing only that she was somehow different, extremely intelligent, and extremely quirky - but accepted and valued - seems to have the assessment of her parents, physicians, and others early in her life. Her peculiarities - inability to find her way in unfamiliar places, and extreme aversion to people coming too close to her, to noise, to confusion - became a devastating issue when she left home for the unfamiliar environment of college. From then on, Willey straggled mightily until she reached the safe haven of marriage to an outstandingly sympathetic partner, a fulfilling job teaching college, and motherhood. When her own daughter, one of twins, was diagnosed as an infant with Asperger's Syndrome, Willey immediately recognized herself: "social action impairments, narrow interests, an insistence on repetitive routines, speech and language peculiarities, non-verbal communication problems and motor clumsiness . . . each of these symptoms is manifested in a variety of unique and diverse ways." Willey here compares her own experiences with her daughter's, her daughter's with her twin sister, who doesn't have AS, and the childhood peak in intensity of her daughter's symptoms with her own waning symptoms in middle age. In her appendices Willey offers extensive practical help and resources to AS sufferers. But even those not directly affected by AS will find this an eye-opening view into a parallel world. (Kirkus Reviews)

Customer Reviews

Pretending To Be Normal Does Stress You Out!!
I'm the one who is fed up with pretending to be normal like anyone else. I have been feeling distant and different from other people like she felt in her university days. I usually felt neglected, alienated, and discounted when interacting with other people. They superficially seemed nice to me, but actually they implicitly hated me. That was why I could trust nobody else. I often felt left behind like the author missed her college classes in a state of confusion in the crowd. After I was diagnosed with ADHD and Asperger syndrome(AS), I realized that I don't have to pretend to be a neuro-typical(NT) person any more! Even though I come to know my AS traits now, it has been very tough to maintain stable relationships with other people, which causes frequent job changes. Especially, unwritten rules and sudden changes get on my nerves! NT people have taken them for granted, though.

Recently I have come to recognize I could find someone to go to bat for; job hunting agency staff who deal with challenged people have trying so hard to understand the specifics of developmental impairments. To my great surprise, they know the ropes more than typical hard-headed psychiatrists! Thanks to them, I can be more objective and understand both the pros and cons of AS and ADHD more than before I met them.

Like Liane Holliday Willy said, people with AS can be normal with more understanding people, I'd say. Then they won't have to suppress their feelings and stress themselves out!

This book gave me hope
I really enjoyed Liane's story - it gave me hope that my Aspie daughter (and son) will grow up to have fulfilling lives.

Flip flops a lot, but still a good read
Liane Holliday Wiley's Pretending to be Normal: Living With Asperger's Syndrome is a very insightful look into the condition, from someone who has it herself. Wiley provides entertaining, and at times heartbreaking, anecdotes of her life, as she grew up not knowing she had Asperger's, but knowing she was different in some way. The advantage of reading a book like this is that it is written by someone who has the condition, albeit undiagnosed, so it provides better insight on the condition than a parent or professional, who doesn't have the condition himself or herself. On the other hand, as another poster has stated, Wiley seems to go back and forth between accepting her Asperger's as the way she is, and saying she's better now that "her Asperger's traits continue to fade away", yet admittedly, that is how many "Aspies" feel. Bottom line: I would recommend this book, but keep in mind that it's not perfect. Especially useful for Aspies or friends and loved ones of Aspies, and anyone who wants to learn more about Asperger's Syndrome.