Working with Adults with Asperger Syndrome A Practical Toolkit Carol Hagland and Zillah Webb
02/10/09
It’s 65 years since the Austrian psychiatrist Hans Asperger gave a clinical account of what he called ‘Autistic Psychopathy’. Written in German during the Second World War Asperger’s paper went largely unnoticed until Lorna Wing popularised the term ‘Asperger syndrome’ in 1981.
Nowadays books on Asperger syndrome seem to come along like London buses – in whole battalions! Two of the latest come from the author, Carol Hagland.
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‘Getting to Grips with Asperger Syndrome’ and ‘Working with Adults with Asperger Syndrome’ On the latter Hagland is joined by Zillah Webb. Both authors are Clinical Psychologists. Both books
are practical problem solving guides.
The books stand on their own but also work well in tandem. They’ll be useful for friends and family of individuals with Asperger syndrome as well as health and social care practitioners.
It’s hard to find fault with any of the advice given and parents and practitioners alike who implement some of the ideas on offer will I’m sure find them effective.
I have two difficulties with both of these texts: they are short on theory, and they focus almost entirely on the so called ‘problems’ that people with Asperger syndrome seem to present ‘us’ with.
Without really understanding in depth the thinking and biological differences we will not truly understand the culture of autism. Books that focus on the ‘how to’ without the ‘why’, only do half the job.
Isn’t it time too that some writer out there writes a book that balances the strengths that are in all people with Asperger syndrome with ideas on how the rest of us can help them achieve whatever they put their minds to?
There’s a lovely little red toy bus sat on my desk. The author of the first truly positive book on autism gets it.
Chris Barson
Positive About Autism
(A version of this review appeared in Learning Disability Today)
Back
Nowadays books on Asperger syndrome seem to come along like London buses – in whole battalions! Two of the latest come from the author, Carol Hagland.
Back
‘Getting to Grips with Asperger Syndrome’ and ‘Working with Adults with Asperger Syndrome’ On the latter Hagland is joined by Zillah Webb. Both authors are Clinical Psychologists. Both books
are practical problem solving guides.
The books stand on their own but also work well in tandem. They’ll be useful for friends and family of individuals with Asperger syndrome as well as health and social care practitioners.
It’s hard to find fault with any of the advice given and parents and practitioners alike who implement some of the ideas on offer will I’m sure find them effective.
I have two difficulties with both of these texts: they are short on theory, and they focus almost entirely on the so called ‘problems’ that people with Asperger syndrome seem to present ‘us’ with.
Without really understanding in depth the thinking and biological differences we will not truly understand the culture of autism. Books that focus on the ‘how to’ without the ‘why’, only do half the job.
Isn’t it time too that some writer out there writes a book that balances the strengths that are in all people with Asperger syndrome with ideas on how the rest of us can help them achieve whatever they put their minds to?
There’s a lovely little red toy bus sat on my desk. The author of the first truly positive book on autism gets it.
Chris Barson
Positive About Autism
(A version of this review appeared in Learning Disability Today)
Back