Autism in Adults

What a great book. I have a short attention span for reading, particularly non fiction. I think I can count on one hand the non fiction books I've read since my education (and I'm 36!) - so the fact that I finished this, enjoyed it, and digested it is a true indicator of just how well thought out and readable it is. The views on Autism are so balanced, researched and useful. And because it's a short read, it's one you can recommend to family, friends and co-workers to help them understand Autism quickly and easily, without having to be bombarded by heavy information and dense text. I bought this book along with a few others to discover more about my family, myself and others around me in my life and I found it really helpful. It clarified a lot I already knew, but there are a lot of people out there who don't know these things, and this book would be a great one to read and share. And the warmth and respect for the Autistic community that the author had, that was threaded throughout, was really well received. I felt it. Loved it. Well done!

I was privileged to hear Dr. Luke Beardon speak at Axia-ASD’s 2015 conference “Perspectives from the Spectrum” where he argued that “No one is a little bit Autistic” as his his primary premise. I say “primary premise” when perhaps I should say “an important concept which had a major impact on my paradigm”.Despite one of this books “5 star reviews” writers here on Amazon claiming to have read the book in two hours, and that they were looking forward to reading it again, I found it took me 3 days to read. One could perhaps partially attribute my taking so long to read a hundred and odd pages to my being a slow reader, or my different mental processing due to being autistic, or it COULD be because Dr Beardon’s book did precisely that which he intended it to do – it caused me to THINK!I find Luke’s style of writing wonderfully engaging, this book is INTENDED to, I would say “provoke thought”. Dr Beardon may well argue that his intent was not to “provoke” but more to “stimulate”. I do not know as I am not a mind reader, but does it not APPEAR “provocative” to have the first line of a book on Autism read: “Never believe anything you read about autism.” ???Of course, when one goes on to read the following paragraphs, Dr Beardon reasons out WHY (in this context) the statement is not only reasonable but obvious, due to the total lack of homogeny we autistic folk appear to demonstrate. His introduction goes on to very clearly “set out his stall” or “set the stage” and express “where he’s coming from” (as he puts it). From my perspective, the very essence or heart of the book lies with its wish to instil the reader with the “desire to question”, or perhaps stimulate the reader to recognise the “need to question”. That is all well and good in principle, however for me it meant that even in the “Introduction” I would get through a couple of paragraphs, and find my Self having to stop reading and think about what I’d read!The 2nd of the 12 Chapters describes more of “what autism ain’t” than “what autism is”, presenting the misnomers, misconceptions, misunderstandings which people have had, and do, hold in their heads about autism. He goes on to “define autism” neurologically which I interpret as being a “distinction in thought processes”, and reaffirms my belief in the “you are or you’re not” model he convincingly argued during his presentation “Exploding the Myths of Autism” which I had witnessed.The 3rd chapter on social relationships provides numerous examples of how situations can be both interpreted and experienced very differently by what Luke refers to as “PNT’s”, Predominantly Neuro-Typical compared to the “Autistic Person”… or should that be “Person with Autism”… Dr Beardon’s Introduction introduced to me the apparent reality that there was a “person first” debate within the autistic community?!? I confess this was a shock to me and I had to stop and think about it!I could go through the chapters one by one commenting on the thoughts this book inspired, however I’m still trying to regain my balance aft reeling from reading Chapter 7 “Diagnosis, Understanding and Identification of Self”. For me as a Self Professed and Self Proclaimed “Philosopher”, this chapter I found to be deeply profound. Yes, you can go on to read following chapters of insightful and possibly practical information on education, employment, “close relationships” and parenthood, even a few pages on the criminal justice system, before the final chapter celebrating autism, but personally I CAN’T stop thinking about “Chapter 7”…Personally I have a “problem” with the word “Identity” and it’s derivatives (due to my own “cultural biases” and environmental conditioning I guess) and my preference is for “category”, however there appear to be a contingency who take offence at being “categorised”. This may only appear as a “semantic issue” to some, but for me personally (and I am perhaps “close to being alone” in thinking this), there is a notion of “you are identified by what you identify with”, and that is not the same as a “pigeon hole” category used for the “purposes of recognition”.Out of all the amazing information and insight “Autism and Asperger Syndrome in Adults” contains, I feel guilty that I can’t provide anyone reading this review with a brief synopsis and overview, but I also realise that I would be aiming for the impossible and doing a disservice to Dr Beardon, defeating the whole purpose of the book (from my perspective of course!).If you are autistic, you may feel like the book has been written directly towards you at times, whilst if you are “Normal” – sorry, a PNT – then Dr Beardon’s gathering of data and experience over decades may assist one into, what appears to me, a genuine insight of the “autistic mindset”.So 5 stars from me. I’m Autistic, but have purchased further copies for members of my family, as I believe it may well be important (if not vital) reading for relatives and “health professionals”.

A most interesting examination of the terminology and phenomenology encountered in adults with ASDs. The book makes a most useful contribution to the basics of Autism and Asperger's Syndrome in adults. It is largely polemic in nature with some useful alternative paradigms shifts to allow those who don't really "get" ASDs to make some headway in this regard. The authors experience with dealing with these conditions is obvious. I would really like to see him examine the neurodevelopmental complexes of ASD and other neurodevelopmental conditions, the cases that really challenge the diagnostician. I read the book in one sitting as I found that, as with the work of Tony Attwood, it was obvious from the text that this was a man who had been on the frontline and had some very useful tips for those who find ASDs difficult to place in terms of nosology and classification. I would recommend to anyone who wants to get a good overview of the most important elements of ASDs, not the more traditional diagnosis by deficit.

Truly excellent in all regards. As an autistic adult I found myself nodding with a wry smile to much of the honest observations & sagely thoughts within. There are some discussions with which I am not in complete agreement, but Luke puts forward his proposals as just that: a view, a perspective, one angle from many. These are to stimulate debate and develop the reader's own perceptions, to challenge us to re-examine our historical baggage.The book has balance, is penned in a style that's not too dry & dusty, yet which seeks to spark the reader's interest in a broadly comfortable possessinhlAbove all else, while autism is NOT a one-size-fits-all ideal, this book has graced our diverse iPads, kindles, android and other formats in a manner that I feel DOES fit all (or at least a great many of us) with dignity, compassion, tolerance, open-mindedness and humility.