Living and Loving with Asperger Syndrome

Family Viewpoints

Patrick and Estelle McCabe

• Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
• Year: 2002
• ISBN:
  9781846422027
• Topic: Psychology
• Subtopic: Autism Spectrum Disorders
• Index: Psychology

For most people, family life means both love and compromise. Within families where one or more members have Asperger Syndrome (AS), this compromise becomes yet more crucial to mutual happiness. In this book, the McCabe family discuss how Patrick's AS affects each relationship. Estelle, Patrick's wife, talks about how she has adjusted her speech and social life in order to live peacefully with her husband. In turn, Patrick discusses how he has learnt to accommodate Estelle's needs and his teenage son's growing independence to his desire for strict routine and clear communication. Jared explains how his father's AS has affected growing up and describes ways in which issues can be resolved without either losing face with his peers or upsetting his parents. Focusing positively on the relationships that are both the most important and the most difficult to maintain, this book is invaluable for anyone closely involved with AS.

Table of contents

• COVER
• Living and Loving with Asperger Syndrome: Family Viewpoints
• Contents
• Biographical Note
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• 1. A Bird’s Eye View
• 2. Living with an Asperger Husband
• 3. Staying Married and Enjoying it!
• 4. The Basics of Living with an Asperger Dad
• 5. The Three Stages of Growth with an Asperger Parent
• 6. An Even Closer Look at the Asperger Parent
• 7. Raising a Child While Enjoying Each Other
• 8. Professional and Personal Relationships as Seen by Friends and Co-workers
• 9. Some Differences between Asperger People and Others: How to Understand “Normal” People
• 10. A Look at Positive Aspects of Having Asperger Syndrome