Asperger Syndrome and Adolescence ─ Helping Preteens and Teens Get Ready for the Real World

Asperger Syndrome is on the high-functioning end of the autism spectrum and is characterized by a lack of social skills, abnormal preoccupation with certain objects or tasks, and the inability to control one?s rage. It is also characterized by high creativity and passion that can be too often squelched in a parent?s or teacher?s efforts to manage the behavior of the AS child. There is no specific treatment or cure. This is a relatively new diagnosis, and has been retroactively applied to geniuses like Vladimir Nabokov. But for the modern kid, who has to follow the social norms of the day, which include sitting for long periods of time in a chair, AS can be excruciatingly difficult. There are several books on AS that sell very well with little or no promotion. There is not one for teens, however. The author sees a lot of AS adolescents, and they encounter a unique set of problems as they need to assert their independence without the social intuition their peers possess. This book addresses those needs in a practical, positive way, ensuring that the reader recognizes and celebrates the benefits of AS as well as its drawbacks. The book is full of fascinating, inspiring anecdotes of AS teens. Teresa Bolick, Ph.D is a clinical psychologist who has worked with school systems and HMOs and specializes in kids with AS and autism. She speaks regularly on the subject and has a private practice in Nashua, New Hampshire, where she is a consultant to several school districts on kids with autism and AS.