Asperger Syndrome and Anxiety: A Guide to Successful Stress Management [Paperback]

From all the books I have read on Asperger Syndrome, ( and there have been many!) this has to be the best, by far.
Nick Dubin takes us deep into the core of what it is like to have AS, but more than this, he offers
possible solutions to the problem of overwhelming anxiety. It not only makes an interesting and
informative read, because of its wealth of anecdotal information - but I believe it is the first of
its kind to offer real hope to people struggling to live with AS.
A do-it-yourself psychotherapy book - it offers real solutions, promotes acceptance of AS and at the
same time empowers the reader to think positively about the benefits of having this enigmatic
developmental 'difference'.
Well thought out and well written - a must-have book for anyone with AS or anyone interested in learning about AS.

Nick Dubin has, in addition to being an advocate for people with Asperger's, which is the spectrum partner to autism, rightfully takes his place with the pantheon of autism experts, such as Dr. Travis Thompson and Dr. Tony Attwood.

This is a book that parents, educators and the medical community need. This is a book that I feel will break down barriers and remove obstacles to communication and acceptance.

Aspies have long been charged with communication issues. I think the NT world has communication issues as well, as many Aspies can relate cases of being dismissed; tuned out and rebuffed by their NT counterparts. For Aspies with special interests and technical interests, just TRY to share your gems of wisdom with the average NT listener. I know people with AS who are quite skilled at computer repair; military strategies; have encyclopediac knowledge of certain subjects such as ornithology and have wonderful insights to share, but sadly lack an appreciative audience.

Nick Dubin, who has Asperger's writes of coping with formerly undefined differences in adult life and steps adults on the spectrum CAN take to manage stress and social interactions. A gifted writer, Nick Dubin's voice is the voice of clarity and reason and readers will gain a tremendous amount of knowledge AND self respect after reading this gem of a book.

Receiving a diagnosis of Asperger's in adult life is a life-altering adjustment and a lifetime adjustment adult Aspies make. As another reader on the US review boards stated, it is damned frustrating to be "blown off," that is casually dismissed by neurotypicals (NT) who don't have the patience or the desire to listen to a person on the spectrum try to clarify their position. In fact, it is hard not to draw the conclusion that the NT population has developed a sense of entitlement where Social Codes & Rules are concerned. After all, it is the NT population who make the rules and then penalize people on the spectrum for having trouble following, understanding and knowing when those rules will change. And change they do, always at the behest of the NT poplulation and always to the benefit of the NT population.

As for adults on the spectrum whose brains are "wired differently," "hard wired," that does not mean to live without hope. Many intelligent adults with Asperger's learn cognitively as opposed to intuitively how to navigate that tricky social terrain otherwise known as interaction. For example, a girl with Asperger's used her dolls as props for verbal playbacks. She would use them when re-enacting conversations she had heard or had been part of. When confronted with another child, she would go along with the other child's doll play wherein the dolls interacted, but when left to her own devices, the dolls remained props. This child did not INTUITIVELY know that the dolls were supposed to interact; she COGNITIVELY learned that was the expectation and to go along with it for form's sake when in the presence of others.

A woman, recently diagnosed with Asperger's, said she could not abide small talk and only went along with it as it was "the expected social norm." She could not laugh at jokes she did not find funny, but learned the palatable compromise of smiling, but not laughing or enduring what she did not find amusing. That way everybody won. The person telling the inane joke was not offended; those who laughed for whatever reasons were appeased as well and the woman did not come across as socially out of place. The best part was she did not compromise her beliefs or natural inclinations. She learned to meet others halfway, which is the fairest thing a person can do.

I wish more books for adults on the spectrum did exist and I'm glad to see a growing body of literature as of now. Adult brains may be fully developed, but that is NOT to say that adults with AS cannot learn to work with and around AS and to compensate in areas of challenge.

Jerry Newport and others have helped contribute largely to the needs of adults on the spectrum. Dubin does indeed "speak the language," as duly noted by another US reviewer. Dubin, himself an Aspie understands and does not throw out pompous speculations and windbag theories that many NTs do. My take is, if you want to understand the autism/Asperger's (a/A) perspective, just talk to somebody on the spectrum. You might be delighted AND surprised at the insights people with AS can provide.

Most people with Asperger's are intelligent AND verbal. One thing adult Aspies don't need is for NTs to speculate about a condtion they (NTs) don't have and continue pushing fallacies, such as all Aspies think in pictures, which most emphatically is NOT true. As for the tired savant stereotype, that too is challenged. Savantism affects less than 10% of the a/A population and it is just that very stereotype that has hurt many people with autism and reinforced a lot of myths. I am glad to see others challege them as well.

You can well imagine my sheer joy at coming across a book like this, by someone who "gets it," by having lived the experience. Dubin is an Ambassador, an expert on a Goodwill mission leading NTs to a better understanding of a/A and, hopefully to more tolerant world.

Let's all raise our glasses to Nick Dubin!

This book has been very thought provoking. The only criticism I have is that doesn't go deep enough into the issues, though there is a bibliography. Mr. Dubin is a very good communicator, though at times, and rightly so in my opinion, he can be 'evangelical' in the manner of expressing his opinion. This book is definitely worth reading, and if you apply the techniques described, it can be very worthwhile. I look forward to his next book - Aspergers and depression.