Product Description

Expelled from mainstream education and vaguely aware she has something called "Asparagus" Syndrome, 12-year-old Jessica is sent away to a residential school for young people with autism. Here, miserable and misunderstood, she spends the next five years trying to cope with the strict school system - fighting against misguided teacher interventions, dealing with the onset of adolescence and fitting in with the other pupils. Recalled with humour and insight, Jessica's story is one of hope and an account that challenges professionals to develop a more enlightened approach to working with children on the autism spectrum.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #300859 in Books
• Published on: 2003-06-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 220 pages

About the Author
Jessica Peers was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome at 12 years old and spent the rest of her education in a residential school for young people with autism. After achieving an M.A. in English Literature, she is now a voluntary researcher at the Autism Research Unit (University of Sunderland) and writes in her spare time.

Customer Reviews

I liked this.
Neurotypical people read books by people with AS to find out about the condition or gain some illusive insight. As a person diagnosed with AS myself I just read them as most people would read any ‘normal’ persons auto-biography… for interest and enjoyment and because, for a change, I can identify with the experiences the main character describes.

Diagnosed with Asperger syndrome at 12 and sent away to a residential school for young people with autism, this is the tale of the next 5 years of this girls life, the characters she meets, the emotional struggles she faces, and her rebellion against a misguided and inflexible system.

However, Jessica makes clear herself in the introduction that this book is not about naming and shaming people from her past. Names are changed, characters are composite, and she describes the experiences rather than the events, in a way that I at least found meaningful and compelling. My only disappointment was reaching the end and still wanting to know what happened next.

I don’t think you’ll learn much about AS from reading this, but it is still a worthwhile read in my opinion.

Cool
I am a friend of the author of this book and I have met her many times. She is a kind person who loves her cat. She is as normal as you or me. This book tells how she had to deal with problems in her childhood due to an autistic condition known as Aspergers Syndrome. On the whole the book is a fantastic insight into an otherwise generally unknown situation.