What's the best book you've read recently on understanding ASD, and finding strategies to better manage symptoms?

I don't like that approach either, I find it tiring, boring and irritating, also the resourses mentioned in these books are often not available here, which I think leads to unhappiness and confusion. My view of American society is that it's much more normative than ours.

My exact response. I also found Temple Grandin's 'The Autistic Brain' too American, too much that American 'aspirational approach' and too much centred on Grandin's personal version of autism.

The autistic guide to therapy 

But everyone feels this way

Its great

I just came on this thread to suggest that book. I found it very helpful. 

I found Neurotribes too American, it didn't speak to me at all, but many people found it helped them, so I must be an outlier?

Thanks - I'll check these out

You might like "The Autism Spectrum Disorder Workbook" by Karen J. Goldfinger. It's pretty practical and focuses on strategies for managing symptoms from a scientific perspective. Another solid option is "Neurotribes" by Steve Silberman.

Thanks Martin, I'll down load it

I'm only part-way through it, but 'Looking After Your Autistic Self', by Niamh Garvey seems quite a practical guide to making one's life easier for autistic adults. Written by an autistic former intensive care nurse. I have it on Kindle.

The only book I've found that really explained anything to me was The Gendered Brain by Gina Rippon, it is a science book rather than a how to guide. Every book I come across on autism is American and they talk about things we don't have in this country. Nearly all the books concentrate on children either parenting or young adults, there never seems to be anything for people like me who were diagnosed later in life, had been struggling for years and have been left to struggle. I've yet to find anything that speaks to me and my lived experience, let alone offers me any help.

I'd very much recommend the Tony Attwood one! 

In a few of my job interviews for example I mentioned that I was on the spectrum, and there was not a hint of ill-treatment from anyone. 

Thanks! I appreciate your perspective.

I've never identified much with the neurodiversity movement. We've already got equality in law (Equality 2010 Act). We rightly have reasonable accommodation. I really just want to think for myself, get on and live a relatively normal life, rather than demand that society and other people pander to my every angry activist demand. 

Although it's not strictly speaking a book on understanding ASD, more a book on undersatnding human beings generally, I credit the book "Games People Play" (Eric Berne) for literally saving my life by giving me enough tools to function better socially in the world..

Should have added neurodiversity to my list and being neurodivergent as another construct. Sorry, to leave this off my list. Always wishing I could believe that I am just a difference and not a less. 

Hi there. This is something that I'm still looking to find. So have started on the lived experience side. I've not read the Tony Attwood book yet, but it is one I have on my list.

I tend to now feel confident enough to go to the Autism section in the bookshop and browse what is there and I also get a audiobook once a month on what I like the look of.

I think that the place to find the scientific perspective is in research journals. And in this, it is important to think about the paradigm of how Autism is viewed to know which journals to look at. Whether biologically - a disease, psychologically - a disorder or condition, or sociologically - a disability.

I wish you well on your reading.

NAS67100 said:

from scientific perspective or from the perspective of a phycologist/psychiatrist 

Interesting.....

Just ordered 'Avoiding Anxiety in Autistic Adults by Luke on Amazon.

Just watching a lecture he gave on YouTube as well in preparation. Wasn't impressed personally. Its was very, very angry and I imagine is done from a (genuine) experience of hurt and misunderstanding. 

    this is one of my superpowers, apparently. I can't explain it exactly: I  see a set of details and my mind begins to extrapolate somehow, seeing more than I am fully conscious of, meaning some of my brain gears just start to whir up faster and faster than light and spin up an image for me.

      It's usually right or close. It happens so fast the rest of my brain is still playing catch-up as it comes spilling it's out of my mouth (or fingers as the typing may be).

  In your case...

  You like to plan for a future you see and then implement changes to accommodate those desired changes. You create place holders for those future things and are process oriented, focused on your goal.

You also think outwardly, into the environment.

So planning environments.

You are also, probably a uniquely gifted problem solver! You may simply be hungry for a challenge.

Have you thought of reclamation work on compromised environments like landfills, pacific garbage patches, slag heaps or space junk retrieval (which is an up and coming field!

These are the hard but essential areas of focus needed right now.

Stock tip - "Astroscale"

https://astroscale.com/