Navigating the Social World: A Curriculum for Individuals with Asperger's Syndrome, High Functioning Autism and Related Disorders

by Jeanette McAfee

Book Overview

Pediatrician Jeanie McAfee originally created this user-friendly social curriculum for her daughter Rachel, who was diagnosed with Asperger's at age ten. Since then, it has become a staple for parents... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1885477821
• ISBN13: 9781885477828
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: Future Horizons
• Length: 354 Pages
• Weight: 3.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 9.6" x 11.3"

Customer Reviews

A detailed and excellent guide

This book contains valuable documentation of individuals with Asperger's or HFA, problems that arise and how many of the situations can be resolved. There are some great ideas on making worksheets and charts for the individual to track his/her own emotions. This book really helps someone to realize their potential as functioning members of society. It really gives the tools to one with Asperger's to understand and comprehend the world around them.

Wonderfully practical book on HFA and Aspergers disorder

Being a school psychologist, I was most interested in reading this book. Dr. McAfee does a wonderful job providing practical tools teachers, therapists, and parents can use to help children diagnosed with high functioning autism or asperger's disorder. Dr. McAfee provides help in the areas most needed with these children, their social interactions. I am using her suggestions with my clients with good success.

From parent and future educator

This manual is very easy to follow and extreemly user friendly. This is part of the curriculum that my son is using in his school and I thought I'd get a copy to work with him at home. Best money I've spent in a long time!A must for anyone dealing with High-functioning Autism/Asperger's at home or in their classroom.

An Aspie/NLD Reader

This is an excellent resource for parents of children with Asperger's Syndrome, HFA, or similar disorders such as NLD (Nonverbal Learning Disorder, a dual diagnosis of mine). Several of the techniques are of at least some potential use for adults on the spectrum.Once the autistic traits that are academic barriers have been overcome, it is of secondary importance to overcome the social barriers that will make it difficult for your child to function in society. This book looks very useful for that purpose, though I suspect that educating the public as to the talents and the truly neurodevelopmental basis of our differences and getting society to accept these differences would be of greater and longer-lasting importance. Alas, lacking a perfect world where J.Q. Public would be knowledgable about every "disorder" that could prevent a person from acting like the average neurotypical (NT), this book runs a close second.This book is probably not as helpful for parents with children on the lower functioning end of the autistic spectrum, since the academic barriers (especially sensory integration dysfunction) are still in place, and the child is frequently nonverbal. It is almost impossible for a nonverbal autistic child to master social techniques of any kind. Aspie, HFA, and NLD children and adults rely almost entirely upon language to achive even a minor level of social "success". I think it might be useful to note that the "best" way to pick out a child on the autistic spectrum at an early age, NO MATTER WHAT THE LEVEL OF FUNCTIONING is to (as a toddler) have the child spend time with other toddlers. I highly suggest this "early diagnostic tool" to families that have several people on the autistic spectrum - including families with multiple engineers and/or computer programers ;-). NT children can "communicate" with each other, somehow, without language. They can hold whole "conversations" preverbally (it is truly an amazing sight for adults on the spectrum). NT adults can do this to a great degree as well, and can "converse" with people who speak a different language from them by using body language. From LFA to HFA to Aspergers, children and adults on the spectrum do not have this ability. It is similarly lacking in people diagnosed with NLD.For the academically advanced child, or for the high-functioning adult, a college-level class on primate behavior is also likely to be useful. I took one in an anthropology department that showed me some of the common characteristics between the body language of "lower" primates and humans and gave me some basic interpretation tools (even if I have to think of them cognitively, which is far slower than the instinctual reaction most people have to kinesics/body language). My class included time at a zoo and observation periods (mostly of other students from a balcony) in which we made cross-species comparisons (some of which were truly eye-opening, such as the degree of self-grooming female primates

Navigating the Social World

This book is excellent! Written in simple terminology for parents, school staffs or caregivers of High Functioning Autistic children. Contains detailed "how to" information on emotional development, communication/social skills, abstract thinking skills, and behaviorial issues. Finally a plan I can follow as a parent to help my child meet some of his developmental milestones.