Hello all!

My wish to write Jay Grows an Alien stemmed from my relationships with friends, relatives and students who are diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome or demonstrate Asperger traits. Looking back as a classroom teacher and reading specialist, prior to 1994 when Asperger Syndrome was formally recognized, I vividly remember students who were socially different from their peers, who constantly questioned things, were terrible at lying, incredibly loyal and usually highly intelligent.

I only wish I had known then what I know about Asperger's. I would have been able to help them so much more. Because of those experiences and my desire to enlighten and inspire, I take comfort from the hope that Jay Grows an Alien will help children (and adults!) learn about all the positive aspects to having Asperger Syndrome, instead of focusing more on areas of weakness and "differentness." In my opinion and experience, all of these wonderful characteristics make these individuals very interesting to befriend.

I'd like to share an excerpt from Jay Grows an Alien with you. I believe it shows everyone, that with the help of loved ones and friends children with ASD can learn to celebrate and embrace their uniqueness.

"Dad," since I'm not an asp, how can I have asp boogers?" he asked, snuggling next to him. Dad chuckled. "You don't have asp boogers, you have something called Asperger Syndrome. Your brain works differently and certain things are hard for you. ...And it's also why you're an expert on the solar system and why your sister calls you 'Number-Head" because you're so fast at calculating. And why you don't make a good liar."

Happy reading,
Caroline Levine

I really enjoyed reading the following AAPC books and recommend them to you.

LIFE AND LOVE: Positive Strategies for Autistic Adults by Zosia Zaks I learned so much about the ways adults with Asperger's can cope with communication problems from this book written by an adult on the spectrum. For example, Zosia explains how she made a flash card with the word "processing," to let her partner, Gena, know that she's paying attention, but needs a little time to answer. This insightful glimpse into the mind of a person on the spectrum will enable me to help others.

Building Social Relationships: A Systematic Approach to Teaching Social Interaction Skills to Children and Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorders and Other Social Difficulties by Scott Bellini, Ph.D. Building Social Relationships informs parents and professionals how to teach social skills and how to design social skills programs for children with ASD. I love to take psychology courses and read about the subject, so I enjoyed the section on Scott's developmental pathways model of anxiety. He made a clear diagram showing how "Temperament/Physiological Hyper-Arousal leads to "Social Withdrawal" leading to "Social Skill Deficits" leads to "Negative Peer Interactions", all of which produce "Social Anxiety."