Which Asperger's book should I buy?

[chocolatespread]

Even if DS1 (aged 7) never gets a diagnosis, the more I consider his behaviour and history, the more I see Aspergers-y characteristics. I really think that approaching my parenting of him would benefit from my taking that into account.

He's very different to DS2 (5) who's starting special school in February and I really need to read up. I know it sounds un-tuned-in of me to only just be thinking Asperger's re: DS1 at the age of 7, but our SEN radar has been pointing towards DS2 because his needs have been much more obvious, I guess.

So, where do I start with Aperger's?

I have a few your welcome to borrow :)

This is my favourite, clear and comprehensive
www.tonyattwood.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=64:the-complete-guide-to-aspergers-syndrome&catid=37:books-by-tony-attwood&Itemid=178

Thank you!!

He's done a concise version as well, depends how wealthy you are feeling.
I bought this one for the school's SN department.
www.amazon.co.uk/Aspergers-Syndrome-Guide-Parents-Professionals/dp/1853025771/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1293064003&sr=1-2

Thanks, Goblinchild. I had a look at his website, and I love the emphasis on the positive .

I recently bought the first book Goblinchild linked to and find it very useful. We are still in the process of finding out a diagnosis but definately there is a lot in this book that I can relate to re DD and even if we don't get a diagnosis of aspergers in the end the book is still immensely helpful.

(The category "Asperger syndrome" may be disappearing in the first half of next year, I hear unofficially. It all becomes autism, if so. But the principles are the same - Asperger syndrome = autism but without an additional learning difficulty.

Tony's a great guy - very often he'll answer individual queries by email too.)

Thanks for that imput, beautifulgirls. The waiting list for diagnosis here is years, literally. DS2 is on that waiting list and won't be diagnosed 'til December 2012, and the SENCO said she'd heard that there's such a backlog that the're actually going to close the list for a while . So I'm not hopeful of DS1 getting a diagnosis, but I want to understand him as best as possible, DX or none.

Amberlight, what do you think of that if that's the case? Good, bad or indifferent? Will it 'narrow' the spectrum, and therefore support? Or is it simply a matter of definition?

All depends what they decide to do. No detail yet.

If they follow the DSM V early thinking in the USA, they should be looking at scoring autism and every other type of disability/difference in a child, all at once. Then rating each of those different things on a scale of mild/moderate/severe etc. Then putting into place proper support and therapies etc.

Up until now it was often
"Does your child have autism and a low IQ and speech and language difficulties? You get help.
They don't have all three things? No effective help for you because we think that if you don't have all three, it's 'mild'."

So people with severe autism (but a normal or higher IQ) were usually getting nowt.

It led to many disastrous results for a good number of people.

If they do it properly, it should be bloomin' good, for everyone, on every part of the spectrum, with or without other disabilities/differences. I'm hopeful.