Subjects:  1. Down syndrome   2. Education   3. Education / Teaching   4. Mathematics   5. Patients   6. Special Education - Communicative Disorders   7. Special Education - Mentally Handicapped   8. Study and teaching   9. Teaching Methods & Materials - Mathematics   

Customer Reviews (6)

Good scheduling advice but little on pragmatics
There is a wealth of advice in this book which all parents and teachers should find helpful. Plenty of checklists are offered and numerous cameo case histories are presented. The references are good but perhaps a bit limited (may be of importance only to researchers - no mention of central coherence deficit for instance). The main point of the book is the get schools to recognise and deal with stress build up in AS pupils before it boils over. Some of this will be familiar from Myles' other book on tantrum management.

The advice for high school transition is very practical. Make sure he knows the schedule, pin the timetable everywhere, fix routine reminders inside textbook covers, make sure he knows which teacher tolerates which behaviour, etc. It is all good sensible advice, though I wonder how deliverable it is in the ordinary school setting?

The authors touch on 'circle of friends', travelcards and a host of other supports, but ultimately pin their support hopes on resource teachers and an enlightened school policy. Unfortunately, this is where I begin to part company with the book. Few schools could make the quantum shifts expected, and the authors could have made much more of their advice if they had identified compromise strategies. Teachers are human, not superhuman. Also in my limited experience, parents of AS teenagers often have unrealistic expectations of their offspring's academic performance and that tends to obscure their grasp of daily school realities. The classic example here is the emphasis on the 'gifted' child who must attend a 'gifted' school irrespective of the impact that has on the school and child. The authors tend to cite gifted children examples a lot in their case studies. I don't think this is helpful.

Perhaps unconsciously the book also portrays the AS teenager as very much a ship in the night steering a lonely course from class to class, from teacher to teacher, etc. How to help out here? Again, while friendship strategies are touched upon, no elabaorated plan is developed. A weakness to my mind.

The book presents the AS teenager as very much a patient to be treated by the environment. I don't want to appear overly critical of the book. It is good that adolescent AS are being addressed, however, for the life of me I could not grasp why there is no section on teenage communication pragmatics. The authors simply skate by the whole problematic of communication skills. It seems that as long as your 'gifted' child is doing well academically and no one is hitting him, then we should be pleased. This struck me as a very lobsided developmental philosophy. Interestingly the book points out in footnote in the beginning that it will ignore sexuality and relationship issues. Ignore these? In a book dealing AS adolescents?

Overall this is a good book for advising on schedule construction and maintenance of the daily school routine. It has limitations and depending on your needs they may be significant or otherwise.

Clearly written, practical guide
I have recently completed reading "Asperger's Syndrome and Adolescence: Practical Solutions for School Success", by Brenda Smith Miles and Diane Adreon. I found the book to be informative, and written so clearly that it may be recommended to parents, while thorough enough that it is of use to professionals both for its insight into the syndrome and its practical solutions. I would highly recommend this book to any clinician or parent who has a patient or child suffering from
Asperger's Syndrome.

Full of easy to implement solutions
This easy-to-read book fully describes the characteristics of Asperger Syndrome(AS) that have the greatest impact during the teen years and how to assist each individual with the appropriate level of support and structure. The importance of assessments in covered, letting parents and teachers know what diagnostic assessments are important, how to assess the characteristics of AS, how to do a curriculum based assessment, how to measure sensory-motor, social language, student learning traits and how to do a functional assessment on behavior.

I found chapter four (Supports for Students with Asperger Syndrome in Middle and High School)to be the most beneficial. The chapter provided goals that every person needs and how they can be reached by the individual with AS. Several academic modifications are shared along with social and environmental supports. In each secion the supports on explained in an easy to understand manner. I felt comfortable enough to implement the supports in the book right after I read the chapter.

A case study is shared in the last chapter. The entire chapter is full of examples of difficulties and how with the appropriate supports a child went successfully from third through eigth grade.

The entire book is full of examples, charts and graphs that you can use. I highly recommend this easy-to-read book. If you have a family member or work with individuals with AS this is an excellent resource. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Education   2. Education / Teaching   3. Secondary   4. Special Education - General   5. Special Education - Socially Handicapped   6. Asperger's syndrome   7. Special Education - Mentally Handicapped   8. Family & Relationships   9. Children with Special Needs   10. Autism   11. Autistic children   

Customer Reviews (18)

This Way of Being
In the beginning of Stephen's book, he writes about the sleeping dragon of autism reawakened and his quest to find out more about *this way of being* and its relation to him.

Beyond the Wall is a must read for a parent, teacher or professional. Parents often wonder what it is to be autistic, how they can help their child learn and grow thru the years, and how to help their loved one with hypo or hyper sensitivities and what will their child's future be like. Stephen's book will answer these very important questions.

Stephen just doesn't write about his love of music, he shows how his love of music can help an autistic child to learn. Stephen writes about self-advocacy and how important it is to teach a loved one how to self advocate. Stephen writes about his academic learning from grade school to college. He writes of his frustrations in his earlier accounting career. He writes of going back to school for post graduate studies and switching careers. He writes of his new career, living life and being married.

Beyond the Wall, is Stephen's autobiography, about being a son, brother, friend, educator, advocate and husband. Long after your done reading his book, you realize that todays autistic child will be tomorrow autistic adult and that Stephen has left the door open for all the children to follow.

Finally, a personal account by a person with a life!!
I write as a peer and friend of Stephen Shore. His book
is a great step forward for our community. It is focused,
practical, well documented and informative. Stephen is not
another "autistic lounge act." He is a mature, married,
serious person with a life way beyond the deserved acclaim
that this book will bring to him.

The book is especially useful since Stephen Shore,
like most of the observed people with our condition,
Asperger's Syndrome, is male. His is the first book written
by one of the majority gender, after almost four decades of
living this way, to give parents, siblings, professionals
and our younger peers a great overview of how to live
in a unique way with dignity.

A must read and a very enjoyable one!!

Jerry Newport Tucson, AZ

Author of "Your Life is Not a Label: A Guide to Living
Fully with Autism and Asperger's Syndrome"

What It's Like On "The Inside"
As the father of a seven year old son who resides at the light end of the Autism Spectrum, I found Stephens book to be one of the very best I have read by someone who resides on The Spectrum themselves. It is also notable as one of the few autobiographical books by a male. Quite simply put, Stephen's forthrightness is wonderfully disarming. And his very unique ability (especially for someone actually on The Spectrum) to relate not only how the world appears to him but also how that reality fits into the one we nuero-typicals live in, shows an oversight I don't encounter in most typical adults. His positive example is nothing short of a godsend. Beyond giving us hope for our sons, daughters and loved ones who reside with Stephen in this very fascinating place, Stephen's book helps to unravel the mysteries we strive to understand every day. And that Stephen has achieved what he has thus far and has dedicated his life to furthering knowledge about and advocating for the individual on The Spectrum is testimony to this wonderful mans character (and to the loving devotion of his mother, his wife and his mentors!). I only hope my son strives to be half the man Stephen Shore has shown himself to be by this book. If you've just had The "Autism Bomb" fall on you - that is to say, just gotten the diagnosis, you owe it to yourself (and your loved one) to pick up this great book and start thinking positively now at the beginning of your journey, about your gifted child. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1961-   2. Asperger's syndrome   3. Autism   4. Biography   5. Biography / Autobiography   6. Education   7. Mental Illness   8. Mental health   9. Patients   10. Shore, Stephen M.,   11. Special Education - Learning Disabled   12. Specific Groups - Special Needs   

Customer Reviews (38)

Ending Peters
As with the two previous novels this husband and wife team has written, this book starts off with a bang that carries the reader away in a tsunami wave of unbelievably and seemingly unconnected events. However, once the suspense climax is reached and the sinister plot puzzled out, the authors have a hard time keeping the reader's adrenaline pumping at the same heart wrenching pace. Somehow, the actual scene where McBride enacts his revenge seems trivial, a necessary part of the story, but one the reader flies through with the hope that there is a twist that will topple what he already believes to be true and again skyurocket his manufacture of adrenaline.

I read this book while traveling via plane; it is more than adequate to keep one's attention, the premise and the facts gathered to offer the denouement are plausible and sufficiently sinister to make one wonder where and when such events actually occur. I will read another John Case thriller in the future.

I really enjoyed the book, but could have been much shorter.
Jeffrey Duran is a Psychologist that has two patients, both with severe psychological problems. One thinks he has a worm that lives in his heart, and tells him what to do... he is totally controlled by it. The other thinks that she was a victim of Satanic Ritual Abuse. Neither stories are true.
Dr. Duran also has a problem, he very rarely leaves his house, even has groceries delivered.

Friction between the SRA victim woman and her sister, her sole living family member, becomes great because of the false idea of the SRA.

The false victim kills herself, and the sister wants revenge against Duran. An assault on Durans apartment arupts while the sister is there with him, which binds them together in hiding and solving the mystery of the attack, in hiding and searching they discover the attack is part of a much bigger conspiracy involving false pasts and hypnosis mind control.

This book was wonderfully enjoyable, but enjoyment is not the only thing you take into account when reviewing a book; so let me explain why there are only three stars. The book seems to linger on the unimportant details in the beginning, before anything really starts happening, ehich stretches it out longer than it needed to be. When you read a book you are investing great amounts of sometimes precious time, so you want to get to the climax, idea, or whatever and not waste time with lenthy life stories. Anyway... if you do have plenty of time, pick up this book, a few chapters in and you will be totally immersed in the great, smart, conspiracy plot.

Entertaining, Intriguing Story But Lacks Believability
The Syndrome captured my attention and lured me into an exciting story. I read it over a few days whenever I had a chance. It is a page turner.

The story involves conspiracy, secret governmental experiments on humans, assassination plots, false memory and mind control. With those topics at the center of the story, the details become blurred and the believability of the events lessens. But even so, the action is exciting, the main characters likable and not too simple, and the writing is pretty good. There are plenty of surprises. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction   2. Fiction - Psychological Suspense   3. Psychological   4. Thrillers   5. Fiction / Thrillers   

Customer Reviews (2)

Its all in the cover :-)
I picked up this interesting book at Hastings(Kansas). Our 5 yr old autistic son spotted me looking through it. He right away noticed the pencil on the cover. He spent 25 minutes just trying to figure out HOW TO MAKE THE PENCILS go the same way, this drove him absolutely crazy. I really got some great and useful information from this nicely put book. Very rarely do we ever find books for our 'highly functioning' autistic children. Thanks for writing this.

Rebecca Moyes did it again
Finding information to assist children with High-Functioning Autism/Asperger Syndrome can be challenging, at best, but Rebecca Moyes' book leads you through the maze with sound steps to help not only the parent but the educator.
I would recommend this book to parents, educators,and health care workers, as well as, lay people interacting with our children.
Ms. Moyes starts with a fabulous cover of colored pencils in a row. The pencil in the middle is upside down. It is yellow and bright but different than the rest. Not wrong, just different. An individual that shines if understood.
Ms. Moyes balances the line between parents and educators, explaining that "teachers really do want to help our children;but they need the training and support to be able to do an effective job". She notes that "if parents and teachers can learn and truely accept and appreciate the individuality of these children, they can open themselves up to a wonderful, enriching expirience".
Her chapter's are clear and consise including possible causes of misbehavior,antecedent strategies,as well as ways to motivate and reward our children. Ms. Moyes also includes how to evaluate the effectiveness of these interactions.
Any person that cares for or teaches our High-functioning Autism/Asperger Syndrome child should read this book.
Thank you Ms. Moyes. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Autistic children   2. Behavior modification   3. Education   4. General   5. Psychology   6. Psychotherapy - Child & Adolescent   7. Special Education - General   8. Teaching Methods & Materials - General   

Customer Reviews (2)

It Gave Me Back My Life
Dr Wilson's book and a Doctor that listened to me gave me back my life. About 4 years ago I sold my business because I was to sick to continue. I decided I needed to go on a seach to find out what was wrong with me. My health was at the point that I thought I was dying and all the doctors I went to couldn't figure out what was causing my problems. I even thought maybe I was going crazy it must all me in my mind. I was doing all the right things resting, taking time for me to heal and recoup, eating right, taking vitamins and I just kept getting worse. I was exhausted had mood swings, depression, anxiety and panic attacks where I was afraid to leave my house. Nightmare, headaches. Just to name a few of the things I was plegded with. I then found Doctors Wilsons web site and read all I could. Sent for his books and headed for my Doctors, saying I think I found what is wrong with me. She and I went on a learning journey together. I began Dr Wilson methods and about 6 months later was on the road to a life that I had forgotten about. It took a while to get healthly, but it did happen. I continue to do great and hope that everyone that hears about Wilson's Syndrome will give it a try and fine the life out there that is theres to enjoy. ... . ... . Good Luck

Must Read For Anyone With Low Body Temperature
Dr. Wilson explains how DTSF/decreased thyroid system function can cause numerous debilitating symptoms, strikingly similar to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and not show up on routine blood tests. He explains how treatment with the active hormone T3 using his protocol has provided therapy to many patients. Case studies and discussion of symptoms are provided.

A Doctor's manual is also available which provides complete detail for treating Wilson's Syndrome.

This book could be an answer to prayer for a multitude of people and combined with the Doctor's manual gets 5 stars. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General   2. Humor   3. Hypothyroidism   4. Thyroid gland   5. Endocrinology & Metabolism   6. Medical   

Customer Reviews (1)

An excellent instructional resource
Written for both parents and professional caretakers, Early Communication Skills For Children With Down Syndrome by Libby Kumin (who has 23 years of experience in working with children with Down syndrome) is very highly recommended as an informational resource by parents, caretakers, teachers, and anyone else charged with the responsibility of dealing with Down Syndrome children. With a focus on speech and language development, through the stage of making 3-word phrases, Early Communication Skills For Children With Down syndrome offers in-depth insight, home communication activities, ways to help one's child learn basic rules of conduct, and much more. An excellent instructional resource, Early Communication Skills For Children With Down Syndrome is a welcome and necessary addition to institutional speech pathology and Special Education resource and reference collections. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children with Special Needs   2. Communicative disorders in chi   3. Communicative disorders in children   4. Down syndrome   5. Education   6. Education / Teaching   7. Family & Relationships   8. Family/Marriage   9. Parent Participation   10. Patients   11. Rehabilitation   12. Special Education - Mentally Handicapped   13. Treatment   

Customer Reviews (13)

Percy's parting shot
Walker Percy, M.D. struck his final blow at utopian social engineers with "The Thanatos Syndrome". He skillfully draws the connection between the population control groups of today and the cultured Germans of the Weimar Republic and their joint enthusiasm for eugenics and abortion solutions. With that theme playing itself out in the background, he pursues the exciting plot that asks the question: If you could put something in the water that would destroy freewill, but provide perfect order to society, should you? Launch yourself into this rare combination of thriller and deep cultural examination for a great read!

Honest and hauntingly possible
Walker Percy successfully weaves a thought-provoking ethical dilemma into a complex, action-filled fictional narrative. The Thanatos Syndrome engenders a turmoil of pleasurable, suspenseful sensations and disquieting sentiments in its readers. The novel's strengths include a strongly, developed main character who is the first person narrator of the story, a logical sequence of events, and a satisfying conclusion; the novel's only weakness is its use of graphic, wholly unnecessary details of child sexual abuse (not suitable for young readers); the extent to which the abuse is described is excessive and goes beyond the needed explanation to clarify events of the plot. The Thanatos Syndrome addresses many relevant social issues - including crime, teen pregnancy, homosexuality and AIDS - in an honest and truthful manner while providing a particularly insightful look at human nature. Percy effectively portrays both sides of America's current social climate: the need for a quick-fix for its group problems and the rights of the individual within that society. I don't normally read this type of book, but I was particularly surprised by its honesty and haunted by its possibility.

A Brave New World
This is my first book by Walker Percy, but it won't be my last.*

The asterisk? I give this story only a luke-warm review, a B minus. Yes, the plot does have a thought-provoking dystopian element to it, and it does include the kind of important and bold examination of good and evil that I have heard Mr. Percy is known for. But it can be blunt at times, and also I wonder if some of the sex-related discourse and the protagonist's navel gazing were necessary parts of the story.

What saved the day here was the talented Mr. Percy's crisp and compelling writing style. By the time I was finished with The Thanatos Syndrome, I had the impression that Mr. Percy could make a computer instruction manual seem gripping. His turns of phrase, characterizations, efficient dialogue, and ability to move the narrative forward with apparent effortlessness are rare qualities indeed.

What makes the writing work so well is its subtlety -- it all seems to mesh so naturally. And that is something that in some ways works against a story line that is at least on some level obvious and predictable.

But that doesn't dissuade me from wanting to seek out another of Mr. Percy's books. I think that his enjoyable writing style combined with a more balanced story could yield stunning results. I can hardly wait. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. City and town life   2. Classics   3. Fiction   4. Fiction - General   5. Literary   6. Louisiana   7. Percy, Walker - Prose & Criticism   8. Psychiatrists   9. Psychological fiction   10. Fiction / Literary   

Customer Reviews (1)

Very good and informative
Nice booklet that goes into a lot of detail for such a little publication. It prompted me to get Jeffrey Bland's Book- "The 20 day Rejuvenation Diet Program" This booklet packs allot of very good and important information into a small space.
I highly recommend it. Leaky Gut is a very important and serious condition to address. Don't wait any longer!

"Be Well" ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Diets - General   2. Digestive organs   3. Diseases   4. Gastroenterology   5. Health/Fitness   6. Intestines   7. Medical / Nursing   8. Permeability   9. Popular works   10. Weight Loss   11. Health & Fitness / General   

Customer Reviews (7)

Bed number Ten
This was one of the best books I have read in a long time. I ordered this book by mail and recieved it on Friday afternoon and started reading it instantly. It is now sunday afternoon and I just finished it. I want so badly to talk to this lady to see how she is today!! To read how uncaring so many people were is so heart breaking to me. There were the few that took the time to be more attentive but everyone should have been that way!! I am a nurse at a Houston hospital and I see nurses and other staff act like that everyday and it breaks my heart because I am a very caring nurse and go above and beyond to help my patients. Every nurse needs to read this book to see how people can be feeling when you treat them that way!! I would recommend this book to everyone I work with and know!!

A real tearjerker!
I am an RN and all too often, patients are faced with uncaring caregivers who perceive meeting patient's needs as "too much trouble". If there is a medical person who perceives Sue as a "whiner", I would not want that person to enter my room! The book is a compelling novel, I could not put it down! It included wonderful stories of her travels and family. I wished the book was longer, I hated for it to end. I cried throughout the last portion of the book because it was so touching. The one thing I think it lacks is getting its point across to caregivers. Some caregivers are too uncaring to fully comprehend the torture Sue went through lying there day after day, unable to move or speak, being at the mercy of others. I put it on my list as one of the best books I have ever read!

I can relate as a "Fellow Comrade"
I read this book after spending five weeks in ICU, followed by four months in a Rehab Center...recuperating from Guillain Barre Syndrome. I can relate to how she had favorite nurses...so did I, and being totally paralyzed it may be hard for others to understand just how much that extra little fluff of the pillow makes after laying for eight hours in the same position. My body was very sensative, and any movement was painful...I can imagine how much more painful it was with her. The things I found hard to understand in the book were the thoughts she had in her day to day activities....oh, I would be driving by the supermarket now, on my way to pick up my best friend Bonnie...these thoughts are just hard for me to believe. I know my thoughts were like "when will these leg spasms quit...when will I walk again...when will the aching in my legs get better...when will I get out of here....how much is this costing....when is my next therapy" these were my thoughts. The book does give a good view of just how devastating GBS can be. For me....It will be 4 years this Christmas since my GBS attack, and I am still not well. From the waist up I am about 95%, and from the waist down I am about 50% which includes leg and feet numbness, muscle spasms/cramps,joint pain, and stiffness. But I feel blessed to have back as much as I do, and I pray that God will give me the strength and courage to continue my recuperation from this catastrophic illness. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Baier, Sue   2. Biography   3. General   4. Guillain-Barre syndrome   5. Guillain-Barrâe syndrome   6. Health   7. Health Care Delivery   8. Medical / Nursing   9. Nursing - Nurse & Patient   10. Patients   11. Physician & Patient   12. Psychology   13. United States   

Customer Reviews (13)

A True Medical Mystery!
Written by Jamie Weisman, a physician-patient with a rare, hard-to-diagnose illness, the reader sees all facets of a medical mystery. What was really frightening to me was the length of time it took to diagnose Weisman's condition, despite the fact that her father, a doctor, was always there, questioning, observing, yet unable to help.

She endured years of frustration, pain, anguish, and physical deformity before being diagnosed with a congenital immune deficiency.It is controlled through monthly treatments with gamma globulin and by self-injections every few days with interferon. There is, however, no cure.

Her illness inspired Weisman to go to medical school, and she is now a physician at Emory in Atlanta. She writes eloquently about how she practices medicine while dealing with her illness. Her harrowing story makes for tough but compelling reading.

I could have done without the last sections, "Begotten" and "Begetting", or at least a shorter account of her attempts to have a child.

Otherwise this book read like a medical thriller.

Well Written and Compelling
I really couldn't put this book down once I got started, which was about 44 hours ago. This book is autobiography or memoir (I really don't know the difference) and is a quick read at 243 pages because Jamie Weisman herself is only 36 or 37 years old.

What is compelling about this book is Weisman's honest look at her congenital immune deficiency, the way she has dealt with and the way it has affected the significant people in her lives (her parents, her husband). A big part of the way that she has chosen to deal with this disease is by going to medical school and becoming a doctor. One of the most powerful passages in the book is when she writes, "...... I start medical school. I come to know far more about immune deficiencies than my father does. I find my own doctors and Emory University and begin making my own decisions about my health care...... I have relieved my father of the double burden of not only loving me while I am sick but also having to be my doctor" (pg 194). This passage is powerful for me because, to my mind, she has taken responsibility for her life, gained as much knowledge as possible about her condition, and is relying on herself to manage it.

I also really liked the fourth chapter, "All Too Human", where she talks about the inevitability of errors in medecine. Doctors are people, too; hospitals are worked in by people. Too many people just treat doctors like omniscient gods but they are not; they are limited and fallible people, like everyone else.

The third chapter, "Beautiful Failure", is mainly about a surgeon who removed a hideous lump from her face and gave her back her appearance. There is a twist and it is really a powerful and beautiful chapter.

The book lost a little steam for me in Chapters 5 and 6 though it picked up a bit after that. Weisman is now a mother and the final chapter "Begetting", is mainly about her struggles to become pregnant and her fears of complications due to her condition.

All in all, a courageous struggle, an interesting look at the practice of medecine and an honest look inside one person, and her family's, life.

...

an enlightening account
After witnessing the painful treatment and deaths of my in-laws recently, I was most interested in the author's account of her unbearable pain when her face was infected, and the problem she had in obtaining relief. She was a doctor herself and the staff knew her--yet she still had to beg for hours for relief. When will the medical profession treat pain adequately? I am disappointed that after enduring so much pain that she does not recognize this need. Overall, her courage is admirable, and we need more doctors who have endured chronic illness to write accounts that enlighten the general public. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography   2. Biography / Autobiography   3. Georgia   4. Health   5. Immunological deficiency syndr   6. Immunological deficiency syndromes   7. Medical   8. Medical - Physicians   9. Patients   10. Physician & Patient   11. Physicians   12. Weisman, Jamie   13. Women   14. Biography & Autobiography / Medical   

Customer Reviews (3)

Great Resource
This is the best book I have read on AS in quite a while. It is one of the few that addresses the differences in adolescence. Those of us who have been in the AS world for awhile know there is a lot of info out there for younger children. Now that our children are getting older, their challenges change. This book really helps in that area. I loaned my copy to my son's educational assistant and she doesn't want to give it back ! Great book,must read for parents of AS adolescents.

Worth every penny
One of the best books on this subject

Excellent resource for the early teen years
This book is organized and very readable. Each section discusses an area where a person with Asperger's Syndrome might have a deficit/challenge. For each "problem" area, there is a short clinical discussion of what the deficiency means (for example, what the heck is "executive function"), then a practical description of how this difficulty might manifest itself in behavior (difficulty with performing particular tasks), and finally some ways that the parent/teacher/other might help the youngster work through or around the problem. This book is my current favorite, as my 11 year old son moves from the shelter of elementary school into the more open middle school environment. The book addresses social skills, academic skills, and has lots of ideas for when and how to help (or keep out of the way!) your child. One section that really impressed me is about special interests, rituals, and routines... The author emphasizes that these need not be viewed as obssessions, compulsions, and rigidity of behavior! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adolescence - General   2. Children with Special Needs   3. Diseases - Nervous System (incl. Brain)   4. Family / Parenting / Childbirth   5. Health & Fitness   6. Health/Fitness   7. Mental Illness   8. Child care & upbringing   9. Coping with disability   10. Coping with illness   

Customer Reviews (5)

A must read!
My husband picked this book up at the speech therapists office shortly after our son was finaly diagnosed with Aspergers. It has lots of helpful answers and resources.
A must-read if you are looking for guidance or answers to questions about ASD. Very hard to find at the library or on the shelf, but really glad we did!

Dr. Ozonofff is one of the Best - A really good book.
I like this book. I am and adult with AS with an adult child on the spectrum. I'm sorry to say that this book is mainly about kids and teens with AS, but it does have some good points that are helpful to adults. If you are interested in parenting, this is a good book. I also highly recommend Karen Zelan's book "Between our world and theirs"

I have met Dr. Ozonoff, she get's big points from me for being a really nice person.

I really appreciate her working to break down the artificial barrier between the AS and HFA labels.

Buy this book.
I have a son with AS in his third year at a major University in the Northeast. If you are reading this....you will love this book. Very informative, helpful, and very reassuring. I wish that I had found it years ago. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asperger's Syndrome   2. Autism   3. Autistic Disorder   4. Children with Special Needs   5. Family / Parenting / Childbirth   6. Parenting - General   7. Pediatrics   8. Popular works   9. Psychology   10. Psychotherapy - Child & Adolescent   11. Psychology & Psychiatry / Child Psychology   

The Set-Up-to-Fail Syndrome, by Jean-Francois Manzoni and Jean-Louis Barsoux, looks into the negative dynamics that unintentionally but unequivocally define far too many relationships between bosses and the people who report to them. More importantly, it also proposes ways to attack the problem where it exists and to keep it from occurring elsewhere. Manzoni and Barsoux, researchers at INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France, first addressed the issue in a 1998 Harvard Business Review article examining how "bosses unwittingly set up some of their subordinates to fail and, more generally, mismanage many of the subordinates they regard as acceptable but lower-than-average performers." After discussing the various causes and effects of this behavior--including why responses from both sides tend to generate "an escalating spiral of malaise and underperformance"--the authors present assorted remedies (such as "the mental adjustments bosses must make before trying to interrupt" this conduct), a framework for interventions (with details, for example, on handling discussions between two parties whose rapport has deteriorated), and a litany of preventive measures (including specific suggestions for getting new relationships off to a positive start). Very well researched with solid, practical advice. --Howard Rothman ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Common Wisdom: Insidious & Pernicious
This work deftly weaves those seemingly abstract and academic studies Psychology 101 students have been reading about for 40 years into the fabric of everyday work experience. The authors are able to put the subtle pattern into high resolution, which at first appears shocking, then depressing, and finally, hopeful.

It was depressing to think that the syndrome is both insidious and pernicious because the common wisdom of most coaching models is a key driver of the syndrome. That is, when a manager notices a performance problem, the appropriate response is to give the person feedback and put them on a "short leash" so that the employee gets extra guidance. On the face, this starts a chain of events:
•Employee perceives the lack of trust, feels cramped by the limited autonomy, as well as being under appreciated.
•Employee responds by withdrawing and reducing unnecessary contact with the boss.
•The Boss takes the withdrawal as confirmation the this is indeed a weaker performer and so shortens the leash even more.
•Progressively, the employee begins to doubt her own capability and ability to contribute, and
•The ugly cycle continues in a downward spiral and the employee has been successfully set up to fail.

It was hopeful to realize that the dynamic is not really based in the coaching model at all. It is based in the very human tendency to categorize and label. It is the common wisdom that there are three kinds of employees: the Stars (or A-Players), the Worker Bees (or B-Players), and the Deadwood (or C-Players). The problem lies in the labeling and how the manager relates to the Worker Bee employee. The Stars have close partnerships with the Boss and are treated as 'trusted assistants." The Worker Bees, on the other hand, have low quality relationships with the Boss and are treated as "hired hands." This stark differentiation in the quality of relationship, based on the label is at the root of the issue. Curt Coffman of the Gallup Organization has said, "We're running as an economy at a 30% efficiency rate because so many workers are not contributing as much as they can..." because a disconnect with an immediate supervisor.

Psychologists say that "Perception is not reality." That is truth in their offices; truth in the workplace is, "Perception IS reality." Unfortunate but true. Manzoni & Barsoux do the business world a great service because they clearly and skillfully lay out how our perception creates unintended bias. This awareness is required by both the Boss and the Subordinate to be able to stop the dysfunctional "dance" that occurs when the Set-Up-To-Fail Syndrome is at work. The hope that they present is that awareness leads to re-evaluation and the reduction of bias.

This is one powerful book; buy it, read it, talk about it.

Good Analysis But Bad Prescription
Being one authored by INSEAD experts, I bought the book with high expectations, believing that FINALLY the truth can be out!!! I read the first few chapters of the book so religiously (almost treating it like my Bible), taking down key points that are so wonderfully said about the self-fulfilling prophecy that many managers have set themselves up to, i.e. to fail. What's disappointing as I come to the middle portion of the book is that authors suggestion on how managers can avoid the SUTF syndrome by taking the first step (not to mention swallowing all their ego and pride) and start initiating a de-SUTF relationship with his/her subordinate even if it means this person might eventually have a chance of not improving at all (due to job mis-fit)??? I returned the book and bought and digested "First Break All Rules" instead.

The Negative Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
This book is based on more than fifteen years of extended and combined research whose primary objective was to reveal the reasons why so many in positions of authority, especially bosses, are so ineffective when managing their subordinates, especially their perceived weaker performers. That is to say, supervisors are often unaware of the fact that they are "complicit in an employee's lack of success. How? By creating and reinforcing a dynamic that essentially sets up perceived weaker performers to fail." Hence the title of Manzoni and Barsoux's book. The authors explain the causes and effects of that "dynamic" (see "Set-Up-to-Fail Syndrome," Chapter 3) and also explain how to avoid it ("Preventing the Set-Up-to-Fail Syndrome: Lessons from the Syndrome Busters," Chapter 9). One of this book's most valuable contributions is comprised of a series of "Tables" which organize and summarize key points. For example:

Table 2-1: "How Bosses See Their Behavior toward Subordinates" which contrasts tendencies of bosses in relationships with weaker and stronger performers.

Table 5-1: "Taking Sides" which presents two views of the same supervisor's observed behavior either as a "great boss" or as an "impossible boss."

Table 7-2: "Taking Responsibility Away from an Employee" which juxtaposes a supervisor's thoughts and feelings about a subordinate with their interaction in dialogue.

Manzoni and Barsoux assert that the set-up-to-fail syndrome is "both self-fulfilling and self-reinforcing, which obscures the boss's responsibility in the process as well as some of the key psychological and social mechanisms involved." My own experience suggests an often great discrepancy exists between modes of behavior determined by conscious and unconscious mindsets. That is to say, many supervisors would vehemently deny that they are "complicit in an employee's lack of success....[by] creating and reinforcing a dynamic that essentially sets up perceived weaker performers to fail." Nonetheless they are. Were they to read this book, they would probably agree that there is such a syndrome and then lament how unfair it is to subordinates who are victimized by it.

One final point. Countless research studies of face-to-face communication have arrived at essentially the same conclusion: Body language creates 60-75% of the impact, tone of voice 15-20%, and content (i.e. what is actually said) only 10-15%. (Percentages vary among research studies but only slightly.) With the publication of this book, Manzoni and Barsoux have made a substantial contribution to our understanding of a widespread but, until now, neglected cause of human dysfunction in the workplace. Whether intentionally or not, a supervisor can sometimes create irreparable damage, especially to those who already feel insecure, by a negative and demeaning "message" which need not be expressed in words but comes through loud and clear nonetheless. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics   2. Business / Economics / Finance   3. Business/Economics   4. Entrepreneurship   5. Human Resources & Personnel Management   6. Problem employees   7. Supervision of employees   

Pop quiz. Please complete the following sentence: "There are days when I get up in the morning and stagger into the bathroom and begin running water and then I look up and I don't even recognize my own _." If you answered face, then your name is obviously not Jonathan Lethem. Instead of taking the easy out, the genre-busting novelist concludes this by-the-numbers string of words with toothbrush in the mirror.

This brilliant sentence and a lot of other really excellent ones compose Lethem's engaging fifth novel, Motherless Brooklyn. Lionel Essrog, a detective suffering from Tourette's syndrome, spins the narrative as he tracks down the killer of his boss, Frank Minna. Minna enlisted Lionel and his friends when they were teenagers living at Saint Vincent's Home for Boys, ostensibly to perform odd jobs (we're talking very odd) and over the years trained them to become a team of investigators. The Minna men face their most daunting case when they find their mentor in a Dumpster bleeding from stab wounds delivered by an assailant whose identity he refuses to reveal--even while he's dying on the way to the hospital.

Detectives? Brooklyn? Is this the same Lethem who danced the postapocalypso inAmnesia Moon? Incredibly, yes, and rarely has such a departure been pulled off with this much aplomb. As in the "toothbrush" passage above, Lethem sets himself up with the imposing task of making tired conventions new. Brooklyn accents? Fuggetaboutit. Lethem's dialogue is as light on its feet as a prize fighter. Lionel's Tourette's could have been an easy joke, but Lethem probes so convincingly into the disorder that you feel simultaneously rattled, sympathetic, and irritated by the guy. Sure, the story is a mystery, but Motherless Brooklyn could be about flower arranging, for all we care. What counts is Lionel's tic-ridden take on a world full of surprises, propelling this fiction forward at edgy, breakneck speed. --Ryan Boudinot ... Read more

Customer Reviews (160)

Promising, yet disappointing
I went to my local library to borrow this book and was disappointed to see that approx. 100 people were on the waiting list before me. At the same time, I was impressed by the book's popularity and decided that I must read it immediately. I must admit that the book was a let down. I found the characters, with the exception of the main character, Lionel, to be boring, and the dialog tedious. One thing I enjoyed about the book was how Lionel, a man suffering from Tourette's syndrome, was portrayed as a person and not a "freak." Mr. Lethem did a wonderful job getting into Lionel's head. However, it just wasn't enough to save the book. I thought that the plot was too weak and the ending too abrupt. And none of the characters seemed at all transformed by their experiences. The book is, if nothing else, a good character study of a man suffering from Tourette's syndrome. If Mr. Lethem would have concentrated on Lionel's character, rather than making the book into a mystery, I am sure that my rating would have been higher.

A darkly comic tale, with a detective with a difference.
Lionel is one of four orphans from St. Vincent's who are recruited by a small-time New York hood for grunt work. Afflicted by Tourette's, Lionel drives most people crazy, but he tickles his mentor's sense of humor. All four orphans (the "motherless Brooklyn" of the title) look up to their leader, but Lionel's admiration includes a large component of unstated love.

When his father figure is murdered in the street, Lionel is the only one of the four no-longer-boys with the intellect, loyalty, and determination to find out what really happened.

Previously a science fiction author, in this book, Lethem takes off into reality like a rocket. The only alien landscape we view here is the inside of the Tourette-inflicted mind, and Lionel is as alien as it gets. But his tics and hollers are the fuller realizations of our own small compulsions and fascinations. They bring the reader right into his mind and body. Despite the pace of the action, and constant plot twists and developments (he tells this story walking, alright) his is an internal journey, and very human.

This is an absolutely riveting good book.

four stars for the Tourette twist
Otherwise, I would just give it two or three stars. But if Lethem does not have Tourette's, he still does an unbelievably authentic job of giving us its quirks - especially the stuttering, bizarre free association wordplay - in an eccentric and likeable character. I wish there had been another character I wanted to root for, however.

The detective storyline is pretty standard. What distinguishes it is its main character whose disorder threatens to defeat his attempts to solve a murder case at every turn. This may not be enough to keep some readers' interests, but if you're interested in psychological twists, this one is as impressive as any I've come across. I only wish the same originality had been given to the rest of the book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American Mystery & Suspense Fiction   2. Fiction   3. Fiction - General   4. Literary   5. Mystery & Detective - General   6. New York   7. New York (State)   8. Orphans   9. Patients   10. Private investigators   11. Tourette syndrome   12. Fiction / Literary   

Customer Reviews (4)

Jam Packed Guide for Parents and Professionals
This is a compact little guide is packed with useful information both for parents and professionals. It is not cluttered with long narratives of people's "personal stories". While there is definitely a place for that approach, I needed a quick primer that would easily acquaint me with the full range of difficulties faced by a child with Tourette Syndrome as well as those faced by her parents. As a clinican, I needed to arm myself in a hurry with an understanding of the essential issues relevant to this population in order to manage a school crisis. It gave me everything I needed to effectively advocate for my young client and her parents.

It is a quick read, informative and clear. The book humanizes TS and provides basic information about etiology, development, and treatment, medication, symptom management, and guidlines on how to interact with school staff. Suggestions for designing an effective educational plans,advocacy strategies, and a basic description of legal rights are also included.

I recommend this book without hesitation.

Very informative, enormously helpful, with great advice
My 8-year-old son has ADHD, OCD and tic disorders (though not full-blown Tourette Syndrome). This book was an enormous help for me in understanding the tic disorder and also the ADHD and OCD which often co-occur with TS and tic disorders. It is written in a very easy to read, friendly, compassionate way. There is a lot of clear advice here. TS is complex and often misunderstood. The book helps you cope with and understand many of the related problems. It teaches acceptance, dealing with friends, relatives, schools, etc. It is a very thorough book. After reading it, I felt less helpless and more empowered to deal with these issues. The book talks about the importance of acknowledging your child's frustrations and feelings, which will help him to learn to share them more directly with you. For example, saying, "I know you're trying really hard, and it's frustrating when the other students can't seem to understand that you can't stop doing certain things." This book helps you to also empower your child, and to embrace what is special about him. It says, "If you believe in your child as an individual whose Tourette syndrome is only one aspect of her total being, your child will also be more likely to see herself as someone with abilities, rather than disabilities." I strongly recommend this book. It will help.

VERY INFORMATIVE
BEFORE I READ HIS BOOK I NEW NOTHING ABOUT THIS SYNDROME. THIS BOOK HELP ME UNDERSTAND.ALL THOUGH I HAVE NNO REALTION TO TOUREETES I STILL ENJOYED IT. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Child Care/Parenting   2. Children with Special Needs   3. Family & Relationships   4. Family / Parenting / Childbirth   5. Parenting - General   6. Pediatric Neurology   7. Popular works   8. Specific Neurologic Diseases   9. Tourette syndrome   10. Tourette syndrome in children   

Customer Reviews (9)

Read it early
I love this book. I wish I'd gotten it when my son was little! It provides great information about how to teach kids with DS to read, but also has great stories of real kids and their accomplishments. I'd recommend that anybody with a DS child buy the book early (when their baby is little), and read the first few chapters. It'll inspire them, mitigate some of the worries they have about their child's future, and introduce them to the important concept that although people with DS are generally slower to develop, their learning disabilities can be mitigated by teaching them in a way that is effective for the way they think (e.g., kids with DS are visual learners), rather than the "standard" way. My four year old has actually had better success with the Love and Learning videotapes and books than the flash card approach described in the book, but the principal is pretty much the same.

This book is a must have
it is extremely helpful, in only 2 months my daughter at 6 years old was up to 30 site words without picture cues. (Her first attempt at actually reading) The book contains alot of helpful activities, simply spelled out in step by step directions for anyone to understand.

great book!
I have taught 5 children with down syndrome how to read, based on the information I recieved from this book. I work in the school district with children with DS and tutor them after school as well. I could never have had the success I have had without the information the author provides in this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children with Special Needs   2. Children with mental disabilit   3. Children with mental disabilities   4. Down syndrome   5. Education   6. Family / Parenting / Childbirth   7. Parenting - General   8. Reading   9. Special Education - General   10. Special Education - Mentally Handicapped   11. Study and teaching   

Subjects:  1. Carpal tunnel syndrome   2. Diet / Health / Fitness   3. Diseases - Musculoskeletal   4. Diseases - Nervous System (incl. Brain)   5. Diseases Of Peripheral Nerves   6. General   7. Health & Fitness   8. Health/Fitness   9. Overuse injuries   10. Physical Impairments   11. Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation   12. Popular works   13. Treatment Of Wounds And Injuries   14. Health & Fitness / Physical Impairments   

Customer Reviews (2)

Helpful guide for parents
As the mom of an Aspie who is being bullied I found the information timely and helpful. Harrassment is a very complex issue, but this book breaks it down into all it's components nicely. The real life stories just broke your heart, but are all too familliar.

The aspect I found the most surprising was on the kids who want to help but instead are on the sidelines watching it happen, and why they act that way. Each situation is different, but I feel this book will be helpful to most parents with an Aspie child. Maybe one of the true life stories will speak to your situation. The insights given by one AS adult looking back on his bullied childhood was very helpful to me in our situation.

At the very least, it is comforting to know that as a parent you aren't alone in your pain!

A Much Needed Resource
This excellent book on bullying and Asperger Syndrome is so needed. It provides lots of practical approaches to parents, teachers, administrators, other school staff, and students. Everyone who is concerned about the impact of bullying in our schools and communities could benefit from reading this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Administration - General   2. Asperger's syndrome   3. Bullying in schools   4. Education   5. Education / Teaching   6. Patients   7. Prevention   8. Special Education - Socially Handicapped   

Subjects:  1. Cognitive Psychology   2. False memory syndrome   3. Mental Health   4. Post-traumatic stress disorder   5. Psychic trauma   6. Psychology   7. Recovered memory   8. Semiotics & Theory