Attwood, T (2007) The Complete Guide to Asperger Syndrome, Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

I think the best information comes from Tony Attwood. It is very clear. He is very parent-friendly

I would, without doubt, we call it the bible which is Tony Attwood’s book [um] ‘Asperger's Syndrome: a Guide for Parents and Professionals’.  It is probably the most widely read book and his follow up book, which is I think it is called, ‘The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome” by Tony Attwood.  And in that book  - plugs for my daughter - my daughter’s book is quoted. He has put her in lots and lots of little passages as examples of the way that Asperger's people’s thinking goes.  So I would advise all of you out there to buy it.  I am not getting a commission. I wish I was. But he is, it is accessible language, it, it, I always say to everybody if your child has Asperger's syndrome, he, she will jump out the pages and hit you in the face. And you will, I read that book thinking, “That’s Nita. That is Nita. Yes, she does that. Yes she does that.”  And it was like I just wanted to kiss the man and say thank you for providing this wonderful resource. So that is the one book that I would recommend everybody to read.

Baron Cohen, S (2008) Autism and Asperger syndrome: Facts, Oxford University Press.

Frith, U (1991) Autism and Asperger Syndrome, Cambridge University Press

Jordan, R (1999) Autistic Spectrum Disorders: An Introductory Handbook for Practitioners, David Fulton Publishers

Shore, S and Rastelli, L.G. (2006) Understanding Autism for Dummies, John Wiley & Sons

Welton, J (2003) Can I Tell You About Asperger Syndrome? A Guide for Friends and Family, Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Wing, L (2003) The Autistic Spectrum: A Guide for Parents and Professionals, Lorna Wing Robinson Publishing

Gray, C (2001), My Social Stories Book, Jessica Kingsley Publishers
 

I think the Carol Gray ones are quite good for anybody that uses social stories. It has got a lot of information in there.


Greenspan, S.I. and Wieder, S (2009) Engaging Autism: Using the Floortime Approach to Help Children Relate, Communicate, and Think, De Capo Publishing

Hamilton, L (2000) Facing Autism: Giving Parents Reasons for Hope and Guidance for Help, Waterbrook Press


Lawson, W (2001) Build Your Own Life: A Self-help Guide for Individuals with Asperger, Jessica Kingsley Publishers


Legge, B (2002) ‘Can’t Eat Won’t Eat: Dietary Difficulties and Autism Spectrum Disorders’. Jessica Kingsley Publishers
 

The Can’t Eat, Won’t Eat books opens… it doesn’t necessarily give you, okay here is the answer, but it makes you go whew okay I am not the only one. Thank you Lord!

Maurice, C (1994) Let me hear your voice: Family Triumph Over Autism, Fawcett Books.


Mesibov, G and Faherty, C. (2000) Asperger's What Does It Mean to Me?: A Workbook Explaining Self Awareness and Life Lessons to the Child or Youth with High Functioning Autism or Asperger syndrome, Future Horizens

Bleach, F (2001), Everybody Is Different: A Book for Young People Who Have Brothers or Sisters with Autism, National Autistic Society

I bought her this book  aimed at siblings with younger brothers or older brothers and sisters with autism and it was called ‘Everybody is Different”. And I read it. I read it because I thought well I will read it before she reads it and it was really good. I found it really, really interesting because I thought would she be able to understand it at this age, you know because she was only ten. And I gave it to her to read and I think she quite enjoyed it.

Fling, Echo. E (2000) Eating an Artichoke: A Mother's Perspective on Asperger Syndrome, Jessica Kingsley Publishers
 

So there is “Echofling”, [um] “Eating an Artichoke” I think
it is called. And I read that in one sitting because that was about a mum
and that was brilliant


Blastland, M (2007) Joe: The Only Boy in the World, Profile Books Ltd
 

I think the one that I can recommend is by Michael Blastland, it is called ‘Joe the Only Boy in the World’ which is again, it is a parental insight into dealing with autistic children, his son, which again from a parent perspective it is quite theoretical but it has got humour and things that ourselves as parents we have been, we have seen there, yes, we have done it.  It is a common ground.


Grandin, T (2006), Thinking in Pictures, Bloomsbury Publishing PLC


Grinker, R.R. (2008) Unstrange Minds: a father remaps the world of autism, Icon Books Ltd


Jackson, J. (2003) Multicoloured Mayhem: Parenting the Many Shades of Adolescents and Children with Autism, Asperger Syndrome and ADHD, Jessica Kingsley Publishers
 

I prefer to read about other parents. I find, you know, reading about other families that have gone through the same thing, is, is sort of rings true. I mean there are some great books by professionals and there is lots of information but you know a book about a family, like the book Jackie Jackson wrote about her family, you know lots of parts of it you think, yes, it is not just us and you know, it feels you know more like, well yes, there is other people out there going through exactly the same things. You know as we are, you know, and they are getting through it.


Jackson, L (2002) Freaks, Geeks and Asperger syndrome, Jessica Kingsley Publisher.
 

And the young boy their teenage boy, has written two books and I have actually got it out the library. And it is there and we were reading it together last night Sam and I. So that is quite good because it is written quite well for Sam. It is written in the eyes of a teenager. It doesn’t sort of say ‘you have got to do this’, ‘you have got to do that’. It just talks about brushing your hair and cleaning your teeth and we were laughing about it last night and reading it. So that is quite a good book for Sam.


Jackson, N (2002) Standing Down Falling Up: Asperger's Syndrome from the Inside Out, Lucky Duck Books

Lawson, W (2000) Life Behind Glass: A Personal Account of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jessica Kingsley Publishers


Moore, C (2005)  George and Sam, Penguin Books
 

I personally not enjoy, that is the wrong word, but get more insight into the biographical pieces. The autobiographical pieces not so much so, because I think it is too close personally, but those written by parents so is it Charlotte Moore who wrote ‘Sam and George’ as a parent to parent perspective I thought was a cracking… a really good book because it offered a parents insight into bringing up autistic children.

Pyles, L (2002) Hitch Hiking through Aspergers, Jessica Kingsley Press


Hoopman, K (2006) All Cats Have Asperger's Syndrome, Jessica Kingsley Publishers
 

And then there is the one about all cats have Asperger's. Oh my goodness Charlie is hysterical on that book he thinks that book’s, well because obviously the cats, thinks it is great and Jack has taken that book to heart as well. To the point where he has had a friend over and I found them reading it. I was like this is great, you know, I can’t get any better than this.

Rowe, S (2004) Surviving the Special Educational Needs System: How to Be a Velvet Bulldozer, Jessica Kingsley Press.

Right there is a particular book that I have read. It is ‘How to be a Velvet Bulldozer by Sandy Rowe. Now that is one of the most fascinating and interesting and factual books, because this woman actually adopts four children [um] and they are all on the autistic spectrum  different levels and she talks about her experiences of trying to get them through [er] mainstream education. But at the back of the book there are also references to various organisations that she turned to within education and you know things like the National Autistic Society. They are all signposted in this book and it is written in such a way that it just is such an excellent book.

Wilensky, A (2006) Passing for Normal: Tourette's, OCD and Growing Up Crazy, Pocket Books

Williams, D (1998) Nobody Nowhere: The Remarkable Autobiography of an Autistic Girl, Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Haddon, M (2004) The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Vintage 2004

I loved the fiction book, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time. I have read it about three times and just don’t get bored with it ever. I think everybody should
read that. [laughs] I have got a few copies and I just hand them out to
my friends all the time, and say “oh you haven’t read it, oh you must
read it, it is brilliant.” So yes, I love that book.

I have also just finished a book about it, a story book written by an autistic boy I think. ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night’ which was absolute fantastic, and I just recommend that to anybody because I know I just desperately wanted to finish it because it was really good.

The Curious Incident of the Dog and I mean that really I think helped me to understand where Arthur was coming from, although Arthur is not as extreme as the character in that book. There were lots of little things that clicked into place [um] and with Arthur having the Tourette’s as well.

Hoopman, K, The Bluebottle Mystery: An Asperger Adventure, Jessica Kingsley Publishers

I bought, “Thomas the Blue Bottle Mysteries” which is about a boy with Asperger's trying to come to terms with life and his life and it is written from his point of view. And they are …Thomas liked those books.

there was a book I gave him very quickly after that, The Bluebottle Mystery which is about a child with Asperger's and a friend in school and then I was reading the first page to him, I didn’t even get to the end of the first  page and he said, “Has that boy got Asperger's?”  And, I said, “Yes.”