How to Be Yourself in a World That's Different: An Asperger's Syndrome Study Guide for Adolescents

112 Pages·2007·0.61 MB·English

by  Yuko Yoshida

How to Be Yourself
in a World That s
Different
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How to Be Yourself
in a World That s
Different
An Asperger Syndrome
Study Guide for Adolescents
Yuko Yoshida, M.D.
General Editor: Lorna Wing
Foreword by Lorna Wing
Translated by Esther Sanders
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
London and Philadelphia
Firstpublishedin2007
byJessicaKingsleyPublishers
116PentonvilleRoad
LondonN19JB,UK
and
400MarketStreet,Suite400
Philadelphia,PA19106,USA
www.jkp.com
Copyright©InstituteofPsychoEducationforChildren2005
English-languagetextcopyright©EstherSanders2007
Illustrationscopyright©Jun'ichiSato2005
Forewordcopyright©LornaWing2007
English-languagerightsarrangedwithInstituteofPsychoEducationforChildrenthrough
SpectrumPublishingCompany,Tokyo
Textonp.94–5(IntheUS)copyright©JamesMcPartland2007
Textonp.95–7(IntheUK)copyright©LornaWing2007
Textonp.97–8(InAustralia)copyright©SueLarkey2007
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproducedinanymaterialform
(includingphotocopyingorstoringitinanymediumbyelectronicmeansandwhetherornot
transientlyorincidentallytosomeotheruseofthispublication)withoutthewrittenpermission
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LibraryofCongressCataloginginPublicationData
Yoshida,Yuko,1955-
[:KokinojiheishoAsuperugashokogun“sonokorashisa”oikasukosodate.English]
Howtobeyourselfinaworldthat’sdifferent:anAsperger’ssyndromestudyguidefor
adolescents/YukoYoshida;generaleditor,LornaWing;translatedbyEstherSanders;
forewordbyLornaWing.
p.cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferences.
ISBN978-1-84310-504-6(pb)
1. Asperger’ssyndrome—Juvenileliterature. I.Wing,Lorna,1928-II.Title.
RJ506.A9Y672007
618.92’858832—dc22
2007001958
BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationData
ACIPcataloguerecordforthisbookisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary
ISBN9781843105046
ISBNpdfeBook:1846426146
PrintedandboundinGreatBritainby
AthenaeumPress,Gateshead,TyneandWear
Contents
Foreword 7
Lorna Wing
Acknowledgments 9
How to Use This Book 10
Part 1: Information
1. Research Related to Asperger Syndrome 17
2. Asperger Syndrome in Detail 24
3. Temporary Mental Dysfunction 44
Part 2: Advice
4. Special Strategies for Coping 53
5. Hobbies – Five Major Trouble Spots 70
6. Support and Understanding 89
A Message to the Reader – You Are a Wonderful
and Caring Person! 99
A Message to Support People 102
Recommended Reading 106
Appendix: Steps for Effective Time Management 107
References 112

Foreword
Itwasagreatpleasureformetobeaskedtoreadandeditthe
drafttextofthisbook.ItwastranslatedintoEnglish–Ihave
to confess that, sadly, I cannot read Japanese.
As soon as I started to read, it was plain to me that
the author knew and understood the way in which people
with Asperger syndrome experience the world. This under-
standingisessentialforanyonewantingtoconveyinformation
and encouragement to those who have the syndrome. The
book begins with a clear explanation of the neurology that
underlies what is special about Asperger’s syndrome. It then
goes on to discuss, in detail, the problems people with the
syndromeexperienceineverydaylife,givingsensible,specific
suggestions for coping, withlots of practicalexamples.
One of the best things about the book is the way Yuko
Yoshida emphasizes the many really positive aspects of the
syndrome, as well as writing plainly and honestly about the
difficulties. My favorite story from the book concerns a girl
whose intense curiosity and search for knowledge made her
ask questions that were socially unacceptable in a situation
where others were concerned only with sad thoughts and
feelings. Later, the girl blamed herself for her own lack of
feeling, but Yuko told her, “You have the heart of a true
scientist.”Thisisawonderfulwayofconveyingthenatureof
this special way of seeing the world.
7
8 How to Be Yourself in a World That’s Different
Thebookwillbeasupportandcomfortaswellasaguide
foradolescents(andforadultsofanyage)whohaveAsperger
syndrome. I am sure Asperger himself would have approved
of the commonsense approach of the author.
Lorna Wing
Acknowledgments
First and foremost, I wish to express myimmeasurable gratitude to Dr.
Lorna Wing. I am deeply grateful to her not only for so carefully
scrutinizingthemanuscript,butalsoforofferingmesuchwarmguidance
andforbelievingthatmyopinionsasachildpsychiatristwereworthyof
her consideration despite my being a generation younger and from a
culture halfa world away.
Inaddition,Iwouldliketotakethisopportunitytothankthefollowing
individuals:
Dr.TokioUchiyama,directorofYokohamaPsycho-DevelopmentalClinic
andprofessorinhumanrelationsatOtsumaWomen’sUniversity,andDr.
Hiroshi Fujioka, director of Tsubasa Psycho-Developmental Clinic, for
their constant encouragement and useful advice.
Dr.ShinichiroKadoandDr.YokoMuramatsu,oftheKyotoCityChild
WelfareCenter,forputtingthematerialinthisbooktothetestintheir
clinicalpracticeandthenofferingmevaluablesuggestionsbasedonwhat
they found.
AlloftheclientsandstaffatYokohamaPsycho-DevelopmentalClinic,for
their feedback, both direct and indirect.
Esther Sanders, for serving as a conduit for communication between
myselfandDr.Wingwithherfaithfultranslationsofthemanuscriptand
correspondence.
Junichi Sato, the book’s illustrator, for accomplishing the great feat of
bearing with my obsessive personality to the very end.
My son, for offering me encouragement and for becoming the
manuscript’sfirstreaderbymeansofconstantlypeeringovermyshoulder
asIsatatthecomputer,andmyhusband,forbeingthemanuscript’sfinal
reviewer and for never failing to keep his criticisms constructive.
Andyou–allofyouwhoaretakingthetimetoreadthisbookfromcover
to cover.
Yuko Yoshida
9
How to Use
This Book
THIS BOOK WILL HELP YOU LEARN ABOUT
ASPERGER SYNDROME
If you have Asperger syndrome (AS), it means you have the
type of brain that lets you get very enthusiastic about and
deeplyabsorbedinthingsthatinterestyou,anditmeansyou
have a wonderful kind of uniqueness. At the same time,
havingthistypeofbraintendstocauseyoudifficultiesinyour
relationships with other people.
The brains of people with AS are not diseased, and they
are not “bad” or defective. There are plenty of individuals
withASandsimilarconditionswhoarehighlyaccomplished
in a variety of careers – as researchers, artists, skilled crafts-
people,hard-workingcompanyemployees,andsoon.Later,
in Chapter 2, I present a detailed description of the
characteristics that define AS.
THIS BOOK IS NOT INTENDED TO TELL YOU
WHETHER OR NOT YOU HAVE AS
Evenifthecharacteristicsyoureadaboutinthisbookseemto
apply to you or someone you know, the cause of those
characteristics might be something other than AS. Determ-
iningwhetherornotsomeonehasASrequiresaconsultation
with a professional.
10