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Excerpt:
INTRODUCTION
In
the spring of 2006 I published Asperger
Syndrome, An Owner's Manual: What You,
Your Parents and Your Teachers Need to
Know. As I worked on this resource
primarily for middleschool age children
with AS, I knew that I would want to create
something for the older adolescents and
adults with whom I work. This, then, is
Volume
2: What You, Your Family and Friends,
and Your Employer, Need to Know.
Like its predecessor, it is an interactive
workbook designed to assist users in identifying
their unique profiles in order to devise
appropriate and customized interventions
and strategies. It can be completed independently,
but in most cases is better done with
the assistance of a coach, therapist,
or advocate. Parents are also likely to
be important contributors, even for adults.
The
book is based on the premise that, despite
a common diagnosis, each individual with
Asperger Syndrome (AS) is genuinely unique
and that to create successful plans for
living, learning and, yes, loving, with
AS, strategies must be derived from the
individual's profile. Generic strategies
don't always apply; one size does not
fit all.
This
volume is intended for older adolescents
(16+) and for adults on the spectrum who
have the desire to enhance their quality
of life and achieve unmet goals. It is
most appropriate for people on the "upper"
end of the spectrum (Asperger Syndrome
and high-functioning autism). It will
require users to
- Work
on identifying behaviors they exhibit
that may be hindering them;
-
Identify neurotypical behavior;
-
Try out the "un-natural" in
order to improve in certain areas.
Self-awareness,
like so many other skills, can be acquired
through hard work and practice. Motivation
and willingness to try are the key requisites
for success with this workbook.
What
I hope users will accomplish is an understanding
of the ways in which Asperger Syndrome
affects them personally and to use that
information to make plans, adjustments
and
strategies
that will lead them to accomplish self-set
goals and improve their life situations.
Overview
of the Book
This
workbook is divided into two main parts.
The focus of the first section is on assisting
users in gathering information, both general
and specific, about Asperger Syndrome
and about themselves. The second part
of the book guides users in a process
of translating the information they have
gathered into plans for achieving the
goals they have identified. Within this
section you will find strategies, suggestions
and adjustments that can be helpful for
minimizing constraints and maximizing
opportunities to achieve goals. When knowledge
and understanding connect with goals and
strategic planning, you can anticipate
more control of life circumstances, ideally,
resulting in a more fulfilling life experience.
We
will use the nonagram to visually guide
us through the workbook. The nonagram,
or ninepointed star, is a symbol of achievement
and completeness. As the last single digit
in the decimal number system, nine is
a number of fulfillment, fullness and
limits. As we proceed through the book,
we will complete more and more of the
star, which will be represented by grey
shading.
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