A Great source of reference!
This book grabbed my attention first of all, as it addresses all parts of the local community- family, friends, professionals and the individual to the practicalities of knowing someone with Asperger's as told from the first-hand perspective of an aspie author.
I particularly enjoyed the straight-forward language and found that for about 6 weeks, this book was in my handbag as my go-to source of advice. Chapters 2 and 3 were very relevant to me as a parent and a teacher. Many of the strategies would be useful to someone at the start of their autism journey or to serve as a reminder to those further along their road less travelled.
Professionally, I used the book as a useful reference, forming a checklist when writing reports about a child's difficulties and some of the interventions employed in our school setting to date.
Personally, it has helped me to understand the stresses of teenagers with GCSEs, although I find it is often difficult to know where teenage angst and general attitude begins or whether such anxiety is part of having Aspergers.
I would recommend this book as a starting point for parents and especially professionals to develop greater understanding of ASD and to promote practical action.
I particularly enjoyed the straight-forward language and found that for about 6 weeks, this book was in my handbag as my go-to source of advice. Chapters 2 and 3 were very relevant to me as a parent and a teacher. Many of the strategies would be useful to someone at the start of their autism journey or to serve as a reminder to those further along their road less travelled.
Professionally, I used the book as a useful reference, forming a checklist when writing reports about a child's difficulties and some of the interventions employed in our school setting to date.
Personally, it has helped me to understand the stresses of teenagers with GCSEs, although I find it is often difficult to know where teenage angst and general attitude begins or whether such anxiety is part of having Aspergers.
I would recommend this book as a starting point for parents and especially professionals to develop greater understanding of ASD and to promote practical action.
Autism, Advice and Acceptance
Next, I wanted to find out more about the author. As someone who recently undertook some sessions of hynotherapy, the title alone makes me wonder how hypnosis and Aspergers are related and question the importance of eye-contact.
This autobiography examines the main areas of life where Aspergers has played a major role, whether positive or negative, in the author’s perceptions, decision-making and relationships. Through his writing, he aims to understand himself and also provide hope for parents of children on the spectrum by careful teaching, acceptance of ASD traits and by playing to individual strengths. I particularly agree with his adage that “Aspergers is not an excuse for bad behaviour.” There is still a place for debriefing over what went wrong and what could be done differently the next time.
I found that when reading about some of Dan Jones’ experiences I could easily attach similar traits to my own children - sensory overload, forced social interactions, stimming, reliance on routines, meltdowns, love of underwater swimming, Lego by instructions rather than creativity, diet, specific obsessions, modelling behaviour by learning from others, finding the correct word for things, difficulties with practical motor skills such as tying laces and fixing fiddly buttons etc. It is a reminder that people with Aspergers are often academically bright but view the world differently to their peers.
Dan Jones’ life demonstrates that despite difficulties along the way, perhaps mostly attributed to his late diagnosis, he has successfully found employment in Mental Health services, helping autism families and has a supportive wife who writes the final chapter from her perspective. His autobiography offers explanation and advice but overall, he shares a message of great hope and optimism. A diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome is not the end but simply the beginning of a journey.
This autobiography examines the main areas of life where Aspergers has played a major role, whether positive or negative, in the author’s perceptions, decision-making and relationships. Through his writing, he aims to understand himself and also provide hope for parents of children on the spectrum by careful teaching, acceptance of ASD traits and by playing to individual strengths. I particularly agree with his adage that “Aspergers is not an excuse for bad behaviour.” There is still a place for debriefing over what went wrong and what could be done differently the next time.
I found that when reading about some of Dan Jones’ experiences I could easily attach similar traits to my own children - sensory overload, forced social interactions, stimming, reliance on routines, meltdowns, love of underwater swimming, Lego by instructions rather than creativity, diet, specific obsessions, modelling behaviour by learning from others, finding the correct word for things, difficulties with practical motor skills such as tying laces and fixing fiddly buttons etc. It is a reminder that people with Aspergers are often academically bright but view the world differently to their peers.
Dan Jones’ life demonstrates that despite difficulties along the way, perhaps mostly attributed to his late diagnosis, he has successfully found employment in Mental Health services, helping autism families and has a supportive wife who writes the final chapter from her perspective. His autobiography offers explanation and advice but overall, he shares a message of great hope and optimism. A diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome is not the end but simply the beginning of a journey.
Advice on attachment, avoidance and aloofness
This short book is incredibly interesting. The author does not claim to speak for the entire autism community as individuals will undoubtedly respond to trauma, loss or death in very different ways. However, Dan Jones successfully expresses how his own responses manifested in a variety of life experiences and he offers some explanation and advice on how to help someone who is mourning as a post-script to his previous autobiography.
An Autistic response to death and loss is something that intrigues me. I find that my boys already respond differently. Houdini is highly anxious when separated from care-givers and is particularly vocal when his father is absent to complete even the shortest tasks. The middle boy is a bit of a Peter Pan character. He does not want to grow up. He doesn't want to face a future where his parents and grandparents will inevitably die. The eldest, who has some awareness of death, can appear quite detached and very matter-of-fact about grief while I am outwardly showing emotion. Like Dan Jones, his scientific mind questions the purpose of rituals, traditions and the place of religion in the whole scheme of things.
The author argues against the idea that those with autism are emotionally vacant but rather that in his case, he has an "out of sight, out of mind" mentality which places his thoughts very much in the present much as Mindfulness suggests. In his conclusions, he advises how others can help by being brutally blunt about their own feelings and that by this open communication, the individual with autism may empathise more easily.
An Autistic response to death and loss is something that intrigues me. I find that my boys already respond differently. Houdini is highly anxious when separated from care-givers and is particularly vocal when his father is absent to complete even the shortest tasks. The middle boy is a bit of a Peter Pan character. He does not want to grow up. He doesn't want to face a future where his parents and grandparents will inevitably die. The eldest, who has some awareness of death, can appear quite detached and very matter-of-fact about grief while I am outwardly showing emotion. Like Dan Jones, his scientific mind questions the purpose of rituals, traditions and the place of religion in the whole scheme of things.
The author argues against the idea that those with autism are emotionally vacant but rather that in his case, he has an "out of sight, out of mind" mentality which places his thoughts very much in the present much as Mindfulness suggests. In his conclusions, he advises how others can help by being brutally blunt about their own feelings and that by this open communication, the individual with autism may empathise more easily.
* "Dan Jones is an autistic author, YouTuber, trainer and speaker. He offers a unique perspective because most of his career has been working in care or family support work so he has worked with many children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder and with parents of children with autism spectrum disorder.
Dan is author of the novel The Hypnotic Assassin and self-help and training books including Guided Meditations For Health & Wellbeing, Hypnotherapy and Advanced Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Scripts.
Dan has also written four books around parenting, Parenting Techniques That Work which is a book of tips and strategies for parents to help them manage challenging behaviour, Sleepy Bedtime Tales which is a book of 11 bedtime stories to be read to young children (aimed at 4-7 year olds, although the approach works with younger and older children) to help them fall asleep, the stories are written to be read in a specific way that helps to guide the child to sleep, almost like guided meditations but stories to engage children rather than walking along a beach or through the woods as you may find in adult books, the follow up book of 11 stories to help children relax, almost like child friendly guided meditations, Relaxing Tales for Children and Human Givens Approach to Working With Parents of Challenging Teens which is a book for professionals in social work or family support roles." AMAZON.CO.UK
Dan is author of the novel The Hypnotic Assassin and self-help and training books including Guided Meditations For Health & Wellbeing, Hypnotherapy and Advanced Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Scripts.
Dan has also written four books around parenting, Parenting Techniques That Work which is a book of tips and strategies for parents to help them manage challenging behaviour, Sleepy Bedtime Tales which is a book of 11 bedtime stories to be read to young children (aimed at 4-7 year olds, although the approach works with younger and older children) to help them fall asleep, the stories are written to be read in a specific way that helps to guide the child to sleep, almost like guided meditations but stories to engage children rather than walking along a beach or through the woods as you may find in adult books, the follow up book of 11 stories to help children relax, almost like child friendly guided meditations, Relaxing Tales for Children and Human Givens Approach to Working With Parents of Challenging Teens which is a book for professionals in social work or family support roles." AMAZON.CO.UK