See also ...
 

AD/HD Auditory Processing (APD / CAPD) Dyslexia, Dysgraphia and Dyscalculia Nonverbal Learning Disabilities Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)

Sensory Integration (SI) Visual Processing Twice Exceptional Twice Exceptional in College 2e Products and 2e Books 2e = Exceptional Squared!

 

1001 Great Ideas for Teaching and Raising Kids with Autism Spectrum Disorders by Veronica Zysk and Ellen Notbohm

Tons of great ideas - social, sensory, behavioral, and self-care, and many other issues - are for low-functioning autistic kids; nearly all can be used or adapted for not only Aspergers kids, but also for exceptionally gifted kids...
 

Spotlight on 2e Booklets from 2e Twice-Exceptional Newsletter

Spotlight on 2e is a series of easy-to-read, information-rich booklets on 2e topics, that answer all the tough questions, and provide a terrific set of resources for additional information.  I'm already ordering a set for the teachers and administrators in our child's new school this fall!  Available:

	Understanding your Twice-Exceptional Student (for educators)
	Parenting Your Twice-Exceptional Child (for parents)
	The Twice-Exceptional Child with Asperger Syndrome
	Guiding the Twice-exception Child: A Collection of Columns by Meredith Warshaw
	The 2e Reading Guide: Essential Books for Understanding the Twice-exceptional Child

Asperger's: What Does It Mean to Me? by Catherine Faherty

The book most requested by parents and teachers. Written by a leading therapist, this workbook is a must-have for the person with high functioning autism or Asperger's Syndrome. Includes chapters to help explain their world.  Also available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca
 

Benny and Me: A Father Sees Himself Through his Aspergers Son by Mike Postma

A father's story, Asperger's through the unique view of a gifted and talented educator and his son...
 

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

A murder mystery of sorts -- told by an autistic boy. Fifteen-year-old Christopher John Francis Boone is mathematically gifted and socially hopeless, raised in a working-class home by parents who can barely cope with their child's quirks. He takes everything that he sees (or is told) at face value, and is unable to sort out the strange behavior of his elders and peers...
 

Different Minds: Gifted Children With AD/HD, Asperger Syndrome, and other Learning Deficits by Deirdre V. Lovecky

Recognizing the different levels and kinds of giftedness, Lovecky provides insight into the challenges and benefits specific to gifted children with various learning difficulties.  Guides parents and professionals through diagnosis and advises on how best to nurture individual needs, positive behavior and relationships at home and at school...  Also available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca
 

Developing Talents: Careers for Individuals with Asperger Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism by Temple Grandin and Kate Duffy

Society loses out if individuals with autism spectrum disorders are not involved in the world of work, or make other kinds of contributions to society.  This book takes readers -- those on the autism spectrum and their family members, teachers, counselors -- through the career planning process...  Also available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca
 

Fitting In and Speaking Out by Martin

A boy's speech to his 5th grade class, about his Asperger's Syndrome...
 

Life Among the 'Yakkity Yaks' an interview with Temple Grandin, in The Wall Street Journal

'Who do you think made the first stone spear?" asks Temple Grandin. "That wasn't the yakkity yaks sitting around the campfire. It was some Asperger sitting in the back of a cave figuring out how to chip rocks into spearheads. Without some autistic traits you wouldn't even have a recording device to record this conversation on..."
 

Misdiagnosis And Dual Diagnoses Of Gifted Children And Adults: ADHD, Bipolar, OCD, Asperger's, Depression, And Other Disorders by James T. Webb, Edward R. Amend, Nadia E. Webb, Jean Goerss, Paul Beljan, F. Richard Olenchak, and Sharon Lind

Physicians, psychologist, and counselors are unaware of characteristics of gifted children and adults that mimic pathological diagnoses. Six nationally prominent health care professionals describe ways parents and  professionals can distinguish between gifted behaviors and pathological behaviors...  Also available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca

 

Parallel Play by Tim Page, in The New Yorker

We are informally referred to as “Aspies,” and if we are not very, very good at something we tend to do it very poorly. Little in life comes naturally—except for our random, inexplicable, and often uncontrollable gifts—and, even more than most children, we assemble our personalities unevenly, piece by piece, almost robotically, from models we admire. (I remember the deliberate decision to appropriate one teacher’s mischievous grin and darting eyes, which I found so charming that I thought they might work for me, too.)
 

Temple Grandin: The world needs all kinds of minds a TED Talk

How does the mind of an autistic / Aspergers person work?  Not only who these kids are, but what they need, and what we're doing wrong today.  The world needs these people!  Every parent and teacher should listen to this talk!
 

All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome by Kathy Hoopman

This touching picture book explains the joys and challenges of raising a "different" child.  Good for kids and adults alike, leaving the reader with a sense of the dignity and potential of the Aspergers child...
 

Answer, but No Cure, for a Social Disorder That Isolates Many by Amy Harmon, New York Times (free subscription required)

Pretending to be normal, even for a few hours, is mentally exhausting, many Aspies say. But for some, the diagnosis is an inspiration to master what autism experts call the hidden curriculum: social rules...
 

ASPEN Asperger Syndrome Education Network

ASPEN® provides families and individuals whose lives are affected by Autism Spectrum Disorders (Asperger Syndrome, Pervasive Developmental Disorder-NOS, High Functioning Autism), and Nonverbal Learning Disabilities with education, support and advocacy.  Excellent Articles about Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD...
 

Asperger Syndrome and Long-Term Relationships by Ashley Stanford

Written by the wife of a man with Asperger Syndrome (AS), provides the answers to many of the questions asked by the increasing number of people in that situation. Explains how behaviors that may have appeared odd - or even downright irritating - are the manifestation of AS, and shows how understanding can lead to change, or to greater tolerance. Provides strategies for living successfully with characteristics that cannot be changed, pointing out that AS brings also enormous strengths to a relationship, and emphasizing the value of understanding...
 

Asperger's and Girls by Tony Attwood, Temple Grandin, Teresa Bolick, Catherine Faherty, Lisa Iland, Jennifer McIlwee Myers, Ruth Snyder, Sheila Wagner, and Mary Wroble

At last, a book that provides up-to-date information about girls and women with Asperger's Syndrome. Covering diagnoses, education, puberty, relationships, and careers, experts in the field share practical advice for both caregivers and the women and girls who are affected by Asperger's...
 

Asperger's and IT: Dark secret or open secret? by Tracy Mayor, in Computerworld

Asperger's Syndrome has been a part of IT for as long as there's been IT. So why aren't we doing better by the Aspies among us?
 

Asperger's and Self-Esteem: Insight and Hope through Famous Role Models by Norm Ledgin and Temple Grandin

Forensic biography of 12 famous, successful people suspected of having Asperger's Syndrome.  Each of these people experienced difficulties in negotiating everyday life, but each rose above those difficulties in ways which are still being measured...
 

Aspergers in Love: Couple Relationships and Family Affairs by Maxine Aston

For those who have AS children, and then discover, perhaps there is more AS in their household... People with AS can and do have full and intimate relationships. Frankly examines the fundamental aspects of relationships often complicated by the disorder. Illustrated with real-life examples, the book tackles issues such as attraction, trust, communication, intimacy and parenting and includes a section on frequently asked questions.  Also by Maxine Aston, The Other Half of Asperger Syndrome: A guide to an Intimate Relationship with a Partner who has Asperger Syndrome (below)
 

Asperger's Syndrome in Gifted Individuals by Lynette M. Henderson

The two conditions tend to mask one another, making identification of either more difficult, particularly when professionals are generally trained in either giftedness or autism spectrum disorders but rarely in both...
 

Asperger's Syndrome: Separating Myth from Reality A Primer on a Mysterious Social Disorder, By Dan Childs, ABC News Medical Unit

In recent years, Asperger's syndrome has gained notoriety as a rare, yet sometimes socially debilitating, syndrome.  But despite recent attention, many remain unaware of the true nature of this unusual disorder...
 

Asperger's theory does about-face: Rather than ignoring others, researchers think spectrum sufferers care too much by Maia Szalavitz

A groundbreaking study suggests people with autism-spectrum disorders such as Asperger's do not lack empathy – rather, they feel others' emotions too intensely to cope.  People with Asperger's syndrome, a high functioning form of autism, are often stereotyped as distant loners or robotic geeks. But what if what looks like coldness to the outside world is a response to being overwhelmed by emotion – an excess of empathy, not a lack of it? For the full research study, read The intense world syndrome - an alternative hypothesis for autism by Henry Markram , Tania Rinaldi and Kamila Markram
 

Asperger Syndrome: Through The Lifespan by Stephen Bauer, on ASPEN

"In the course of development, certain features predominate or recede, so that the problems presented change considerably. Nevertheless, the essential aspects of the problem remain unchanged. In early childhood there are the difficulties in learning simple practical skills and in social adaptation. These difficulties arise out of the same disturbance which at school age cause learning and conduct problems, in adolescence job and performance problems and in adulthood social and marital conflicts..." (requires ^{Adobe Reader})
 

Autism in the School-Aged Child by Beth Heybyrne & Carol Schmidt

Build on the strong foundation of discrete trial training, expanding the ability of the higher-functioning child with autism to learn in "real world" settings. The established principles of behavioral interventions, which are instrumental in the education of children with autism, are often discarded as the child matures. These principles are more difficult to establish in the natural setting of school or home, which contain previously controlled variables in the one-on-one setting. Rather than abandoned the principles that have produced success, parents and educators should recognize that children with autism have a unique style of learning that must be considered in a variety of settings. Combines practical strategies, ideas, and suggestions aligning the home and school settings... Or purchase directly from publisher www.autisminschool.com for $15 (save $10) - just mention Hoagies' Gifted Education Page!
 

Clay Marzo: Just Add Water  (NR)

Have you ever loved something to the point that it becomes what you live for? Meet Clay Marzo whose passion for surfing is so pure it defies description. Take a visually stunning and emotionally powerful journey through his life...
 

The Discovery of "Aspie" Criteria by Carol Gray and Tony Attwood, on The Gray Center for Social Learning and Understanding

The diagnostic criteria for Asperger’s Syndrome and the defining characteristics of aspie are markedly different, although they describe the same group of people. Ultimately, what distinguishes people with Asperger’s Syndrome from aspie individuals is how others respond. Three helpful re-thought responses are: 1) a focus on potential, 2) meaningful affirmation, and 3) a discarding of social arrogance for accommodation and acceptance...
 

The Discovery of "Aspie" Criteria by Carol Gray and Tony Attwood, on The Gray Center for Social Learning and Understanding

The diagnostic criteria for Asperger’s Syndrome and the defining characteristics of aspie are markedly different, although they describe the same group of people. Ultimately, what distinguishes people with Asperger’s Syndrome from aspie individuals is how others respond. Three helpful re-thought responses are: 1) a focus on potential, 2) meaningful affirmation, and 3) a discarding of social arrogance for accommodation and acceptance...
 

Early Intervention for Toddlers With Autism Highly Effective, Study Finds in ScienceDaily

A novel early intervention program for very young children with autism -- some as young as 18 months -- is effective for improving IQ, language ability and social interaction, this first controlled study of an intensive early intervention shows. Nearly one-third of the children in the intervention group had enough improvement in overall skills to warrant a change in diagnosis...
 

Emergence: Labeled Autistic by Temple Grandin

Though professionals have been theorizing about it for years, the phenomenon called autism remains shrouded in mystery. The author makes a few dents in this mystique, with insights which are rare because autism by its nature generally precludes such expression and analysis of emotion. She combines a personal perspective with relevant research in formation in assessing how autism can be overcome and even, in some ways, turned to personal advantage...
 

The Foundation for Children with Behavioral Challenges

Don't miss their Caregiver Handout, a condensed version of some of the most important concepts in Russ Green's book The Explosive Child (requires ^{Adobe Reader})
 

Genius May Be an Abnormality: Educating Students with Asperger's Syndrome, or High Functioning Autism by Temple Grandin

Intellectually gifted children are being denied opportunities because they are being labeled either Asperger's or high functioning autism... It is essential that talented children labeled either high functioning autism or Asperger's be trained in fields such as computer programming, where they can do intellectually satisfying work
 

Gifted children with Asperger's Syndrome by Maureen Neihart

Suggests approaches for the teacher who works with young people with Asperger's Syndrome... Gifted children may be very difficult to diagnose with AS because the disorder may resemble other problems such as a learning disability or simply just similar traits of a gifted child. Common traits of gifted AS children are listed and compared to children who are gifted without AS in order to help identify these individuals
 

Gifted Gear Reviews a blog by Stephen

Self-described "Reviews of educational and entertaining gear suitable for gifted and talented kids. Investigated, researched, and written by Stephen (a gifted and talented 10 year-old who likes anime, manga, rock and roll, and theoretical physics and who has a mild form of autism called Asperger's Syndrome)."  Stephen talks more about his life with Aspergers, than products, which makes it even more enlightening!
 

Giftedness and Asperger's Syndrome: A New Agenda for Education (ERIC) by Shelagh Gallagher and James Gallagher

What does it mean to be gifted with Asperger's?  It's a question that gifted educators must learn to answer, to ensure proper programming for children who are gifted, children who are Asperger's, and children who are both... (requires ^{Adobe Reader})
 

GRASP: The Global and Regional Asperger Syndrome Partnership  

A support organization run by individuals on the autism spectrum. Their site features articles written from the Asperger perspective. It promotes a positive view of Asperger Syndrome and related conditions. They have local support groups for adults in New York City and several other big cities...
 

The Gray Center for Social Learning and Understanding

The center works to improve social understanding on both sides of the social equation, helping individuals with ASD to communicate and interact more successfully with the people with whom they live and work.  Don't miss The Discovery of "Aspie" Criteria article, linked above
 

The Hidden Gift: Author-mother discovers pathway into autistic mind by Kevin Lamb, Dayton Daily News

Sam Bryan was labeled with severe learning disabilities and an IQ around 70 before his second-grade test scores last year put him at the level of a first-year law student.  The boys' brains were fluent in a language foreign to most schools they think in pictures.  Sometimes what looks like a challenge is really a gift...
 

In a Pickle And Other Funny Idioms by Marvin Terban

Useful in a classroom setting or as a browser's delight.  Especially useful for teaching our kids the intended meanings of these common but peculiar phrases.  Other useful titles include Mad as a Wet Hen!: And Other Funny Idioms,  Punching the Clock: Funny Action Idioms, and It Figures!: Fun Figures of Speech.  Or get the big collection: Scholastic Dictionary Of Idioms
 

In the Mind's Eye: Visual Thinkers, Gifted People With Dyslexia and Other Learning Difficulties, Computer Images and the Ironies of Creativity by Thomas G. West

This book has strong implications for anyone who has ever considered autism, dyslexia, or learning difficulties to be horrible things that must be stamped out. It shows that the apparent "weakness" and "lack of ability" in some areas can really be an aspect of a major (but often unrecognized) area of strength...
 

It's So Much Work to Be Your Friend: Helping the Child with Learning Disabilities Find Social Success by Richard Lavoie

Guidebook to helping children with learning disabilities overcome social skill deficits. Eschewing sink-or-swim and carrot-and-stick approaches, Lavoie stresses communication and patience for parents looking to guide their children through the maze of social interactions encountered daily... 

 

Jarvis Clutch - Social Spy by Dr. Mel Levine and Jarvis Clutch

Jarvis Clutch—Social Spy is mainly about something very important called social thinking, which most likely is a term you’ve never heard before, even though it’s something you use all day long. Even most grownups don’t know exactly what it means. Let me explain... (See All Kinds of Minds for a complete review)
 

Joshua's Tough Questions for His Mother a StoryCorps: Recording America interview

When he was 5 years old, Joshua Littman was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism. But the condition that has robbed him of many social skills has also played a role in Joshua becoming an honor-roll student at 12.  Confronted with the chance to interview his mother at a StoryCorps booth, Joshua eschewed the prepared questions that many participants rely on, and instead created his own. His questions touch on everything from his mother's past to how she really feels about him...
 

Meeting the Challenges of Adolescence by R. Kaan Ozbayrak at Aspergers.com

Adolescence is full of challenges for any child.  Youngsters with autism bring their special flavor to the adolescence, essentially determined by the levels of three ingredients: interest, avoidance and insight...
 

Mindblindness: An Essay on Autism and Theory of Mind by Simon Baron-Cohen (requires free login to Google books)

Baron-Cohen presents a model of the evolution and development of "mindreading." He argues that we mindread all the time, effortlessly, automatically, and mostly unconsciously. It is the natural way in which we interpret, predict, and participate in social behavior and communication. Building on many years of research, Baron-Cohen concludes that children with autism suffer from "mindblindness" as a result of a selective impairment in mindreading...
 

Mis-Diagnosis and Dual Diagnosis of Gifted Children: Gifted and LD, ADHD, OCD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder by James T. Webb, Edward R. Amend, Nadia E. Webb, Jean Goerss, Paul Beljan, F. Richard Olenchak

Many gifted and talented children (and adults) are being mis-diagnosed by psychologists, psychiatrists, pediatricians, and other health care professionals. The most common mis-diagnoses are: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and Mood Disorders...
 

More Students With Asperger Syndrome Going to College: Some Schools Have Programs to Help Autistic Students by Thea Trachtenberg, ABC News

As scores of autistic young adults enter universities for the first time, colleges across the country are trying to find ways to deal with the first generation of Asperger's students to hit campuses in large numbers. Marshall University has graduate students who work daily with the 14 students in its Asperger's program to review assignments and help with classroom etiquette...
 

My Mind is a Web Browser: How People with Autism Think by Temple Grandin, on ASPEN

The language part of my brain is the computer operator, and the rest of my brain is the computer. In most people, the brain's computer operator and the computer are merged into one seamless consciousness; but in me they are separate. I hypothesize that the frontal cortex of my brain is the operator and the rest of my brain is the computer...
 

The Nonverbal Dictionary of Gestures, Signs & Body Language Cues David B. Givens

From Adam's-Apple-Jump to Zygomatic Smile, items in this Dictionary have been researched by anthropologists, archaeologists, biologists, linguists, psychiatrists, psychologists, semioticians, and others who have studied human communication from a scientific point of view
 

The OASIS Guide to Asperger Syndrome: Advice, Support, Insight, and Inspiration by Patricia Romanowski Bashe and Barbara L. Kirby

Delves into the shady, often misunderstood world of pervasive developmental disorders, of which perhaps the most well-known is autism, with clarity, warmth and amazing depth, focusing on Asperger Syndrome (AS). The authors present unfamiliar terms and jargon with full explanations
 

Online Asperger Syndrome Information and Support (OASIS)

By definition, those with AS have a normal IQ and many individuals (although not all), exhibit exceptional skill or talent in a specific area
 

The Other Half of Asperger Syndrome: A guide to an Intimate Relationship with a Partner who has Asperger Syndrome by Maxine Aston

Partly about diagnosis, and partly about communication between partners, relationship problems and how to deal with them.  Good stuff!
 

Practical Solutions to Everyday Challenges for Children with Asperger Syndrome by Haley Morgan Myles and Jeanette McAfee

What do you say if you receive a gift you don't care for? How do you handle somebody who brags and shows off? What do you do at a social event where you don't know anybody? In this charmingly illustrated book, 9-year-old Haley Myles gives simple, no-nonsense suggestions and advice (for young gifted AS children)
 

Preparing for College: Tips for Students with HFA / Asperger’s Syndrome on Divison TEACCH

Characteristics that may be particularly important for students on the autism spectrum include a clearly structured academic program, a good disabilities services program (or its equivalent), willingness to provide modifications and support for learning needs, and a counseling center with support services...
 

The Puzzle of Hidden Ability by Sharon Begley, in Newsweek

It's finally dawning on scientists that there's a problem here. Testing autistic kids' intelligence in a way that requires them to engage with a stranger "is like giving a blind person an intelligence test that requires him to process visual information...
 

Social Skills Picture Book for High School and Beyond by Jed Baker

Photos of actual students engaging in a wide variety of social situations show, rather than tell, the right (and wrong) ways to interact in different circumstances. They visually illustrate the positive and negative consequences of both ways of interacting... (for teen gifted AS and NLD children)  Or read The Social Skills Picture Book: Teaching play, emotion, and communication to children with autism for younger kids
 

Sticks and Stones Will Break My Bones, and Names Hurt Too by Stephen Bauer, on ASPEN

Unfortunately, most children have been teased at some point in their development. For children with Asperger Syndrome (AS) and related Pervasive Developmental Disorders, teasing often goes beyond being a temporary annoyance, but rather becomes a devastating and chronic problem wearing down a youngster’s self-esteem, for one of three major reasons: differences in social behavior and physical abilities, the invisible nature of the disability, and social skill deficits specific to teasing (requires ^{Adobe Reader})
 

Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew by Ellen Notbohm (magazine article)
Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew by Ellen Notbohm (full length book by the same title)
10 Things The Student with Autism Wishes You Knew (...and it makes sense for other kids too!) by Ellen Notbohm, Family Times Inc.

Every day, individuals with autism show us they can overcome, compensate for, and otherwise manage many of the condition's most challenging aspects. Equipping those around our children with a simple understanding of autism's most basic elements has a tremendous effect on the children's journey towards productive, independent adulthood (Ten Things)  The voice of our child returns now to tell us what children with autism wish their teachers knew... (10 Things)
 

Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism (Expanded edition) by Temple Grandin

I think in pictures.  I translate both spoken and written words into full-color movies, complete with sound, which run like a VCR tape in my head. When somebody speaks to me, his words are instantly translated into pictures. Language-based thinkers often find this phenomenon difficult to understand...
 

Thorn in My Pocket: Temple Grandin's Mother Tells the Family Story by Eustacia Cutler

Eustacia eloquently and honestly expresses her thoughts and emotions, openly giving voice to the frustrations, despair, and anger that affects families with special needs children. She tells about how Temple's problems affected her relationship with her husband and other situations usually kept quiet inside a family...
 

Understanding Austin: Loving a Child With Asperger's Syndrome, ABC News

Adolescence is full of challenges for any child.  Youngsters with autism bring their special flavor to the adolescence, essentially determined by the levels of three ingredients: interest, avoidance and insight...
 

Understanding Our Gifted and Complex Minds: Intelligence, Asperger's Syndrome, and Learning Disabilities at MIT by Brian G. R. Hughes '77, in MIT Alumni Association newsletter, What Matters: alumni opinion column

Aside from anecdotal evidence that the son of two MIT graduates has Asperger's syndrome, why should this story be of interest to the MIT community? My hypothesis is that the "abnormal" condition known as Asperger's syndrome is remarkably similar to the "normal" functioning of an engineer's mind....
 

Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships by Temple Grandin and Sean Barron

Grandin and Barron address the social challenges those with autism and Asperger's face, explaining in the process how confusing and illogical normal societal rules can be. They also address the "unwritten rules" that most children understand instinctively but are a mystery to those on the spectrum. They teach how to trust feelings, be assertive in a positive way, and deal with negative people and situations...
 

What Autistic Girls Are Made Of by Emily Bazelon, in The New York Times

Autism is often thought of as a boys’ affliction. Boys are three or four times as likely as girls to have classic autism. The sex ratio is even more imbalanced for diagnoses that include normal intelligence along with the features of autism — social and communication impairments and restricted interests; this is called Asperger’s syndrome or high-functioning autism or, more generally, being “on the autistic spectrum.” Among kids in this category, referral rates are in the range of 10 boys for every girl...
 

Writing Study Ties Autism To Motor-Skill Problems by Jon Hamilton, on NPR

Many children with autism not only struggle with social skills and communication, they also have great difficulty with handwriting, according to a new study in the journal Neurology.  The finding offers scientific evidence of something parents have been saying for years...
 

Your Little Professor Resources and Academic Programs for Children with Asperger's Syndrome

Great articles and more for parents of Asperger's kids and teens.  Don't miss:

	Improving Non-verbal Communication with Cross-Cultural Exercises
	I Don't Have Asperger's!
	Asperger's in Schools and Helping Children and Teens with Asperger's to Achieve Success in School Settings

and many other great articles...