Abstract

For parents of children with Asperger Syndrome ordinary parenting just doesn't always do it - AS kids need a different approach. Brenda is mother to thirteen-year-old Kenneth, author of Asperger Syndrome, the Universe and Everything, and since his diagnosis at the age of eight she has gathered together the parenting ideas and tips that have had a positive effect on Kenneth's life. Brenda discusses parents' reaction to their child's AS and gives advice on how better to understand 'Planet Asperger'. This book helps parents to respond positively to the challenge of AS and find the 'treasure' in their child's way of being.
I found this book to be very insightful with useful information and many valuable tips in dealing with some of the unique issues that we face with our children everyday. It can be read thoroughly from cover to cover where you will find all of the ideas, tips and strategies embedded in the main text. However, it can also be used as a quick reference guide for specific problems or concerns.
The MAAP
It would prove invaluable to successfully including a child with Asperger's in mainstream education as it is vital to understand the whole picture and, importantly, understand that parents have already developed the best strategies for their child through experience. As a teacher, I would like to see this book used as part of awareness training because, without an insight into what it is like to live with a child with Asperger's, no one can be expected to understand fully. However, as a parent, I appreciate Boyd's positive attitude which ensures readers will gain a sense of celebrating Asperger's as a life-enriching experience.
Community Care
Brenda Boyd lives in Northern Ireland with her husband Chris and her son Kenneth Hall, who is the author of Asperger Syndrome, the Universe and Everything, also published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
The most remarkable thing about Parenting a child with Asperger syndrome is that Brenda Boyd has been able to find the time to write such a gem of a book - a mere five years after her son's diagnosis! Primarily aimed at parents whose children have been newly diagnosed, this book is essential reading for such parents as well as being a very useful tool for "old hands" and professionals alike. Parenting a child with Asperger syndrome is an extremely practical guide in which Brenda writes from the heart, drawing on her considerable personal experience with her own son.she is able to dispense sound advice in the form of "200 Tips and Strategies", tempered with a mother's common sense, humour, insight and love. This is a book to be read from cover to cover, but it is also designed to be used to solve specific problems as they arise. Parenting a child with Asperger syndrome is the kind of book that should be handed to parents along with their child's diagnosis.
Autism Spectrum Australia
Social care managers and staff may wish to recommend this book to parents and carers of children with Asperger Syndrome (AS) There is straightforward advice on how parents ca best look after themselves, avoid anxiety and gain an understanding of their child's condition. There is advice on `bringing out the best in your child', but over half the book consists of tips and strategies on common problems and issues which can occur at school, home and elsewhere. All the guidance is presented accessibly, without jargon, and the author is clearly thoughtful and vastly experienced.
Care and Health
Brenda Boyd's book is a well presented and easy-to read guide for any parent or carer of a child with Asperger syndrome. It could be equally useful for a teacher with an AS child in their class. The beauty of this book is that it focuses not just on the needs of the child but on those of the parent too. The tips and strategies are not confined just to dealing with challenging behaviour, but also to helping you cope with it.
Communication
This totally practical, unpretentious book is well worth reading. It contains a wealth of information, simply presented, from the heart.
The National Association for Special Educational Needs
Parenting A Child with Asperger Syndrome: 200 Tips and Strategies, by Brenda Boyd, is more than simply a book about a mother's personal experience in parenting and educating children with AS. In its four chapters the book contains many ideas, tips and strategies that could be invaluable for parents who are raising children with AS... not only is this book a quick read that will serve as an excellent resource for parents, but it could also be used as a guide in helping parents respond positively to the challenges of raising a child with AS and appreciating his or her unique way of being.
Focus on Autism and other Developmental Disabilities
This book is brilliant. I've read it through, re-read sections and still want to pick it up and dip into it. The approach is very refreshing - easy to read, practical and realistic. So many parents are going to breathe a sigh of relief when they read this book.
Julie Connell, Educational Psychologist