Asperger Syndrome and Adults... Is Anyone Listening?: Essays and Poems by Spouses, Partners and Parents of Adults with Asperger Syndrome

Finally! A book full of people that understand what it is like to live with and love someone on the spectrum. As the wife of an AS husband, this is so refreshing. Learning more about AS really helped our marriage. I am always so surprised to hear the inevitable people on the spectrum complaining that they will not change or learn at all - I guess they're perfect. Both the NT partner and the AS partner have to be accomodating; otherwise, AS people wouldn't have *any* family or friends left to share their lives. If I can gently remind my husband to give a little eye contact, and he knows it is something I find helpful or even romantic, then he is happy to go the extra mile. It's great to read a book that can shed some light on this. Any adult, NT, AS or otherwise should be mature enough to grow and work on things that are a problem for family members. NTs shouldn't have to do all the sacrificing, and I think AS folks with this attitude are stuck in childhood.

Having a son with Asperger's Syndrome as well as a husband with Aspergers Syndrome, I find that resources which shed full light upon our difficulties are few and far between. It is tragic and criminal that people who have Asperger's Syndrome are so frequently overlooked by health professionals and labelled too "high functioning" to receive any health/disability assistance. It is also tragic that the families of such people are left alone to deal with the day to day struggles that someone with Asperger's Syndrome can suffer from. This book clearly demonstrates that families, as well as the people with Asperger's whom we love so dearly, need much more help and support than we are given. HIGHLY recommend this book to families as well as health professionals who are working with Asperger's Syndrome.

This marvellous book, a collection of heartfelt poems and essays about being a spouse or loved one of a person with Asperger Syndrome, tells the truth about life with people on the autistic spectrum. While this books speaks to the pain of living with this disorder it also expresses deep compassion and love for those on the spectrum. The writers of the various stories in the book are those who care for and guide the Asperger's person through the confusing world of the neurotypical. More books of this type are needed. Excellent!

This book is a gem. This and Tony Attwood's book Asperger Syndrome are key to understanding what happens when Asperger's is neither detected nor understood. Lots of heartbreak, endless hurt, and confusion all the way around. Do therapists know about this? Probably a little less than they know about adult AD/HD, which is darn little. Yet, AD/HD and AS are frequent traveling companions. In my volunteer work moderating support groups for the partners of people with ADHD, I've learned that it's the people in the trenches (e.g. the people in these relationships) who must do the educating. They must talk to each other, compare notes, read what the top experts have to say, and not wait for any therapist or doctor to name their plight, much less help guide them out of it. Most times, it just won't happen. Asperger's will be completely missed. You'll be told you have "communication issues" or that one is "frozen in his/her feelings, probably from childhood trauma" or any of a number of psychotherapeutic explanations that take no account of brain structure or brain chemistry. End result will be confused with cause. And, nothing will change. it could even get worse, as both partners labor under the illusion that the others' behavior is intentionally hurtful or deliberately "abusive." These stories smack of heartfelt truth and vividly bring to life the many aspects of Asperger's Syndrome. Even if you've never heard of AS or think you don't know of anyone with it, chances are you do and just never made the connection. Karen Rodman along with the FAAAS website and organization she founded perform a great public service. Gina Pera, author and advocate Is It You, Me, or Adult A.D.D.? Stoppingthe Roller Coaster When Someone You Love Has Attention Deficit Disorder Winner - 2008 Psychology Book of the Year, ForeWord Magazine

Rodman's book contains essays and poems by people living with an an adult who has Asperger's Syndrome. Some of the contributors are partners, some are parents and some are siblings. (The only group not represented is those who grew up with an Asperger's parent.) This is the first book to illustrate the tremendous difficulties and deep emotional pain faced by the families of Asperger's sufferers. Help in many forms is now available for the sufferers themselves, but very little support or compassion is available for their spouses and families, who often struggle with soul-searing loneliness, frustration, loss of self-esteem, bewilderment and profound feelings of rejection. The following quote comes from Rodman's own essay:"Is anyone listening?... We, the families with our blistered hearts and souls and damaged psyche, are the end-product of undiagnosed and untreated Asperger's Syndrome. How many families are suffering out there? The feelings of rejection and loneliness plays a major role in the lives of the Aspergers' family. You and your feelings are not recognized by the afflicted person."I highly recommend this book to anyone who is battling alone with an AS partner, parent or sibling. You will discover that you are not alone any longer. I also recommend it strongly to all psychologists, psychiatrists, counsellors and other professionals who deal with AS. Many of them have absolutely no idea what the families are going through. It is time these voices were heard.