Freaks, Geeks and Asperger Syndrome: A User Guide to Adolescence by Luke Jackson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have given this book 4 stars. I liked it for lots of reasons, and considering it was written by a boy of 13 who obviously has many other things going on in his life, it's fantastic.

I have a daughter of 11 currently being assessed for Asperger Syndrome, and I read this to find out more about Aspergers from the point of view of a child who lives with it. That is exactly what this book gives. It's a clear, no-jargon, honest account of life with Aspergers from the point of view of a 13 year old boy with Dyspraxia and Aspergers, who, through being an observant member of a large family of children with various disorders, and a mum who is nothing short of superhuman, has written a particularly informative book which is both articulate and positive and provides the 'AS kid' with reassurance that they are not alone and advice on how to deal with many of the issues they are likely to face, as well as enlightening parents / carers / teachers of 'AS kids' about what it really is like in that world.

As I read, I found myself, nodding vehemently and laughing in recognition of many things he describes as well as his humour. If I had to complain about this book at all, it would be that it was a little repetitive at times, but that certainly didn't anoy me enough to stop me from reading it. I'm glad I didn't.

This has been a great starting point for me and has given me a wonderful peek into the world of children with Aspergers. It has been thought provoking and has prompted many discussions with others (parents & professionals) as well as encouraging me to ask my own questions and search for answers, helped greatly by the numerous links provided in the back of this book.

As Luke says in his book (many, many times) he is only thirteen and is not the expert on everything Aspergers, and this book is written in an informal style which I would expect of a child of his age (possibly a little older), but although this means it is easier for young teenagers to read and understand, it is by no means exclusively written for them and I recommend it for anyone who, like me, wants an insight into 'Planet Asperger'.

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Mr Motivator

No, Not that awful guy who made me turn the TV off every morning, I am referring to Ralph Marston. Never heard of him? Well, depending on where you are reading from, I am not completely surprised.

A few years ago, during my own "difficult" time in my life and hopefully the most difficult, I looked everywhere in desperation for help out of the deep dark smelly pit I had fallen in to. I have posted about this time in my life before and am not about to start whinging about how hard life is and how I have had it harder than anyone else, but I want to share with anyone who is interested, something I found back then and which helped me through.

On my search for help, I found a website by Ralph Marston called The Daily Motivator. Have a look for yourself. (I have also put the link in "The Quiet Area") There are several presentations to make you stop and reflect, to encourage you to be positive and to help you through difficult times.

This morning, while sorting through some papers, I found some of the little motivational cards I had printed from his site, which had been helpful to me back then and it made me wonder whether the site still existed. It does (obviously). Although I was not visiting the site in a desperate search for help this time, I read todays "motivator" and have printed it (with permission of course) because it is very relevant to my current "battle" to eat healthily and lose weight.

I am 3 weeks in to my plan, which has got to be a record, but with a bit (okay a lot) of help from "Gael Lindenfield", I feel like I am going to stick at it this time. I have only lost 2 pounds though in 3 weeks and although I am staying focussed on my goal, I cannot help feeling a bit disappointed and demotivated. Reading the Daily Motivator reminded me that although some of my efforts will not bring results, I will benefit from them. Good point. Even though I am not losing weight, I must be healthier for eating more healthily and getting more exercise.

Thanks, Ralph!