“We believe that learning about and developing social competency and social interactional skills must occur within the naturalistic environment of peers and groups. However, for children on the spectrum, this must be approached in thoughtful, systematic, effective ways with a variety of variables considered and addressed to be successful.”
“…neurotypicals are linked together, or rather our brains are, by a kind of wireless network, which I call the interbrain. […] People with autism do not tune in, or not so much–that’s the main argument of the book. Their ‘interbrain connection’ is tenuous. They have ‘low bandwidth’.”
“People with AS can be like a breath of fresh air in a world which contains so much pretence and artifice, simply because they are often true to themselves in a way that typical people are not. And even though the characteristic traits of AS can make life difficult and uncomfortable, they have been responsible for some of the world’s greatest achievements throughout history – for example the typical AS originality, intense focus and potential to become leaders rather than followers.”
“We started getting these alphabet-soup diagnoses, and even as I became more expert on the subject, it was still a confusing maze to me. I wanted to write a book to help other parents and those professionals who work with them, that would provide a roadmap that would make their journeys easier. This is really the book I wish I had when I started my research almost two decades ago.”
“I have always loved stories about creative, strong, gutsy heroines such as Anne Shirley and Jo March from Little Women, and I try to bring that energy to my work with girls and young women with ASDs—embracing challenges, overcoming obstacles, and finding a “kindred spirit” along the way.”
“I began to explore ways of getting the children to visualise their anger as a sort of beast that was very difficult to control. In this way the anger was depersonalised. After all, we are all capable of becoming angry, it is how we deal with those feelings that matters. Children with ASD already have a great deal of anxiety to cope with in a normal school day, and so the chances of awakening the ‘beast’ are increased. I thought about the methods I used to calm children and incorporated these into a story. However, this story really came to life when I asked my son, Haitham, to illustrate it for me.”
“The Asperger’s diagnosis was a real turning point for us. For it fit Will like his shadow. Finally I knew what we were really dealing with. Learning about it helped me to understand Will better. Understanding was transforming. For when I saw the world as he saw it, his behaviors made perfect sense. The blessing of understanding was that it led to empathy and compassion. It melted frustration and exasperation into genuine respect, whole-hearted support and even admiration. It helped me to become much more effective at helping him. The impact such understanding made on our relationship was profound. It put us on the same team – working together to face the challenges. It made all the difference in the world.”
“I think that the greatest enjoyment is seeing the progress of individuals that I have known for a number of years, in terms of self understanding, abilities and circumstances.”