Abstract

Wendy Lawson's well-known poetry reflects the many aspects of a life lived with Asperger's Syndrome. In this illustrated collection of poems and short prose pieces, including some from her childhood and teenage years, Wendy engages with her past and present, writing frankly about childhood, self-discovery, adulthood and friendship. Her poetry also conveys the day-to-day challenges presented by divorce, bereavement, emigration, disclosing homosexuality and Asperger's Syndrome.

Both reflective and life affirming, these poems offer evocative glimpses of the Asperger experience and will enrich readers' understanding of autism spectrum disorders.

Wendy Lawson is a mother of four, who was originally diagnosed as being intellectually disabled, then in her teens, as being schizophrenic, and finally in 1994, as having an autism spectrum disorder. She has been married, separated and divorced, has experienced the death of one of her teenage sons, gone through moving from one country to another, losing friends and status due to being openly gay, faced ill health and recently come to terms with the fact that she is aging! Her youngest son was diagnosed at the age of 12 as having Asperger's Syndrome. As a qualified counsellor, social worker and psychologist Wendy has operated her own private practice for many years. She is the author of five books, including Understanding and Working with the Spectrum of Autism, Build Your Own Life: A Self-help Guide for Individuals With Asperger's Syndrome and Sex, Sexuality and the Autism Spectrum, all published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
An author and poet who has Asperger syndrome, Wendy Lawson has experienced being treated as a woman with a learning disability, with mental health problems, and finally as someone who has an autistic spectrum disorder. As a result, she is able to give some insight into the worlds of people who experience these conditions. These poems offer glimpses of her emotional responses to her life experiences.
British Institute of Learning Disabilities
Wendy has connected with herself through her poetry, and sharing her writing with a wider audience gives the reader a sense of who she is, and how she has come to truly accept herself with autism as part of the deal. And all of us have to come to terms with whatever the deal is that life brings to us.
Lapidus Quarterly
This is the sixth book by Wendy, and showcases her considerable talents as a poet. Wendy's poetry reflects her personal life experiences from the Asperger perspective. Her poems are moving, insightful and at times quite distressing. As she says, "Life is like a poem; sometimes it rhymes and sometimes it does not."
The Spectrum
Life is like a poem; sometimes it rhymes and sometimes it does not.
from the Introduction
In this collection Wendy Lawson has used the medium of poetry and short prose to express her emotions and responses to a variety of life experiences and challenges she has faced through her childhood, teenage and adult life. Through the simplicity and immediacy of her writing she is able to help the reader gain an insight and perhaps develop empathy with the perspective on life of an individual with Asperger's syndrome. Some of her poems are particularly moving and poignant while others are uplifting and full of joy. I particularly liked those that provided a fascinating insight into some of the ways that individuals with an ASD think and feel.I found this a delightful book that touches on a wide variety of life experiences and would anticipate that many others would also enjoy and benefit from reading and sharing.
Good Autism Practice