Dear AAPC Friends,

In the past 10 years I have had the opportunity to meet and get to know a number of young adults with Asperger Syndrome. During that time, one young man was fired from his job for stalking a coworker, one young man was fired for having a tantrum on the job, and a young woman had her driver's license taken away because of road rage. In addition, in recent years, while working with students K-12, I have seen a dramatic increase in the numbers of students with Asperger Syndrome who were being referred to sexual offender programs for sexual harassment. In all cases, issues of social skills, especially boundaries, were both. And in all cases, both parents and teachers were desperate for a method that could effectively teach these students the basics of social boundaries.

I wrote my new book, A 5 Is Against the Law! with these individuals in mind. I am hopeful that professionals and parents will use the book as a workbook either 1:1 or in small groups. The approach used puts grey thinking social information, which poses special challenges for individuals with autism spectrum disorders, into a black-and-white systematic format for clearer understanding. In addition, the book directly relates the person's behavior to possible outcomes that could affect personal freedom in hopes of increasing his or her motivation to learn.

The ultimate objective of this approach is for readers to better understand how their personal behavior impacts how others perceive and judge them, and how that judgment, fair or not, can impact their lives.

I hope you enjoy the book. I welcome your feedback.

Thank you,
Kari Dunn Buron

I would highly recommend the following AAPC books as supplemental reading to A 5 Is Against the Law!:

	The Incredible 5-Point Scale: This book teaches the purpose of using a scale and how to create your own. Mitzi and I used actual cases of our own students to illustrate the type of situations that might be addressed with a scale, an example of each scale, and a description of how we introduced the scale to students.
	The Hidden Curriculum: This book is a perfect companion to A 5 Is Against the Law! when teaching small groups of students with AS. The book systematically, and in very black-and-white terms, lists the social interaction rules we never talk about but that everyone needs to know in order to succeed in life.
	Building Social Relationships: A Systematic Approach to Teaching Social Interaction Skills to Children and Adolescents with ASD and Other Social Difficulties. This book can serve as the foundation for understanding how to teach social information to students of all ages on the autism spectrum and how to organize and faciliate a group of students. Scott Bellini does a marvelous job of laying out his 5-step model in a clear and reader friendly way.