Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #576140 in Books
• Published on: 2002-11-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 152 pages

From Booklist
Prince-Hughes, an adjunct professor of anthropology and author of a book about gorillas, prefaces the essays in this collection with biographical information about each writer. Crediting the Internet with a rise of an "autistic culture," the editor goes on to differentiate between classic autism and Asperger's syndrome (AS), a condition with which she herself struggles. Each contributor tells his or her story, helping to illuminate problems with relationships, communication, obsessions, sensory channels, jobs, etc. Moreover, the special talents of these bright individuals and their coping mechanisms come to light. Here neurotypicals, autistics' label for "normals," can get hints about using counterquestions to promote better conversations, and those with AS can follow suggestions such as seeing a career counselor before choosing a college major. Sharing their trials and tribulations, these adults offer their communities a certain expertise, especially in libraries and universities, where people with such conditions are often successful. Nancy McCray
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
"These essays... exhibit a level of awareness, effective writing, and sophisticated understanding of the world they must cope with that are usually thought beyond the capabilities of even the highest functioning people with autism." - Clara Claiborne Park, author of Exiting Nirvana: A Daughter's Life with Autism

About the Author

Customer Reviews

View from the inside
An intriguing collection of essays by those on the autistic spectrum(AS). The editor has deliberately resisted overediting of the essays so the AS style of thinking and wording comes through. The writers mostly focus on their college and young adult years and the problems with finding friends and employment. Life poses many difficulties, even for higher functioning AS people with college degrees. They have academic and job skills, but the social differences pose a significant barrier.

A relative of mine found this book helpful in giving insight to how some AS people perceive and encounter the world. This book might also be helpful to AS teenagers and young adults to help them realize a commonality of experience.

I am amazed by the explosion of books on Aspergers and autistic spectrum disorders. Until recently, there were only a few books available with the "inside" perspective of autism, such as by Temple Grandin. I welcome the contribution of others' perspectives.

Making Sense of the Senses
This is an excellent book that explains what adults with autism/Asperger's contend with. This book is composed of essays by university students who provide personal accounts of what living with autism/Asperger's means and how they have coped and made giant steps forward.

I like the passage about synesthesia, that is linked sensory modes. One contributor explains how numbers and letters have colors; henceforth the title "Aquamarine Blue 5." She explains how certain sounds can have colors; this sensory condition has until very recently received little press.

Synesthesia can take on many forms. For certain people on the a/A spectrum, synesthesia is part of the sensory package. Some people can taste and smell certain words; colors can have an auditory component and in some cases, people have reported being able to see music.

How I wish I had this book when I was a university student! This sterling gem of a book helps clarify so much of what the Autism/Asperger's experience is all about for so many people.

I wish I could rate this one even more stars. This book is truly outstanding.

I wish I could have read a book like this ten years ago...
This is a collection of writings by college / university students on the autistic spectrum, talking about both their challenges and their gifts, as well providing an insight into their lives. This will probably be of most use to those planning to go into higher education who might want to get a better idea of what it will be like and what situations they may face, but will be of interest to anyone who enjoys reading about the experiences of others. The only thing that disappointed me a little was that many of the contributors were studying similar courses and had similar experiences, so it didn't cover the wide range of experiences I hoped it would, but it was a good read all the same.