Aspergers…What Does It Mean to ME?

- Book Review

In the Fall 2000 issue of the REACH Newsletter, Catherine Faherty’s book entitled, “What Does It Mean To Me?” was highlighted. Since that time, it has been used nationally and internationally to introduce children with AS or HFA to their diagnosis and has also been nominated for the Autism Society of America’s Book of the Year Award. Carolyn Ogburn, TEACCH Job Coach, interviews Dave Spicer, a local adult with Asperger’s Syndrome about its usefulness.

A local Review

What a pleasure it is to be able to write about Catherine Faherty’s new book, Aspergers…What Does It Mean To Me? The title is ambitious: “ A workbook explaining self awareness and life lessons to the child or youth with High Functioning Autism or Asperger’s Syndrome”, but in fact it manages all of this and more. Dave Spicer, parent of a 16-year old son with High Functioning Autism, was diagnosed at the age of 46 with Asperger’s Syndrome. Catherine consulted with Dave while writing What Does It Mean To Me? Dave was delighted with the book’s depth and intelligence. Recently I spent some time with Dave talking about Catherine’s book, and found his enthusiasm articulate and contagious.

What Catherine’s book allows is a journey of discovery. I feel that there is so much to learn about Asperger’s Syndrome or autism because of how many differences there are; because in even ordinary every-day experiences, so many things are so different. Who would benefit from this book? Children, certainly, but also adults and caregivers. Yes, I certainly would have benefited from reading this book when I was younger, but I also benefit now.

“Growing up with autism, you spend a lot of time trying to fit a set of expectations and assumptions, without maybe knowing that there are a lot of neat aspects of having your own point of view. It’s a lot of really hard work, and it’s ultimately futile as a strategy for getting through life. (With autism) you’re just going to have a different point of view from most people.”

“The traditional approach to autism was disempowering in the sense of ‘You’re out there-let us fix you’, basically encouraging one form of development a the expense of another. As someone once said, ‘Resistance is futile.’ Catherine’s book, on the other hand, allows the process of gaining self-understanding, self-awareness, and (ultimately) self-acceptance that makes possible a lot of growth. Learning how to interface with society is a necessary skill, but it can be done under the framework of self-acceptance. One does not have to choose between having to fit into society and having a sense of self-acceptance. Catherine’s book, What Does It Mean To Me?, leaves open both.”

“It’s not an overly political book, but it is a political in the sense that it is not political at all. It has no ‘cure’ agenda, and she leaves open all kinds of possibilities. One of the greatest obstacles to understanding autism is maybe to back partway off from one’s expectations and assumptions. Commonly the case is that (someone trying to understand autism) doesn’t back away nearly far enough to really understand the differences. Beginning at the beginning as it does, the book offers a chance to understand from the ground up. Starting from the place in developing understanding is just as important as being understood, offers you the chance to just let go of expectations.”

One of the concerns that I shared with Dave was brought to me by a teenager with AS who was frustrated by the simplicity of the language, who wanted a book geared more to his own reading level. Dave laughed and told me, “I think a 15-year old should be encouraged to write his own version of Catherine’s book. What’s the word that I’m looking for? Synergy? Where, all over the world, people with autism can follow their own journey of self-understanding. Maybe What Does It Mean To Me? is just the beginning of synergy that can carry us into a new comprehension of each other and ourselves.”

Carloyn Ogburn, Job Coach

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