From My Bookshelf

I’ve been a voracious reader since childhood, with overflowing bookshelves at home and work to prove it.  Like other bookworms, I read both for fun and relaxation and to learn more about things that interest me.  Over my 4+ years working at Logan RiverAcademy, I’ve transitioned to working primarily with students on the Autism Spectrum.  It’s no surprise that I’ve amassed a small collection of books focusing on the lives and stories of people who live with this complicated, fascinating, and often frustrating symptomology and diagnoses.  I’d like to share three of my favorites with you: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, The Journal of Best Practices, and Look me in the Eye.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon.

This is a mystery novel, and it stands apart from the following two books in that it is entirely fictitious and the author does not have ASD and admits very little knowledge of ASD.  The reader would never know that, as Haddon’s 15 year old protagonist Christopher offers a first-person narrative rich with detailed quirks that leaves me smiling and nodding along.  Christopher describes himself as a mathematician with some behavioral difficulties, and he leads us through solving the mystery of his neighbor’s murdered dog and uncovering a hidden secret in his own life as well.

The Journal of Best Practices, by David Finch.

I was first introduced to the Journal of Best Practices when I heard the author interviewed on NPR’s All Things Considered.  After sitting in the parking lot of the grocery store so I could listen to the last of the interview, I went home and ordered it immediately (link to the interview here http://www.npr.org/2012/02/03/146342668/best-practices-learning-to-live-with-aspergers).  After his wife gives him an online quiz, David Finch comes to the realization that at 30 years old he has been living with Asperger’s disorder his whole life.  As the subtitle says, he sets out on a quest to be a better husband and father, each chapter exploring one of his more notable best practices and how its incorporation has indeed made him a better partner, friend, and dad.

Look Me in the Eye, by John Elder Robison.

This memoir is my most recent read, after seeing it on the bookshelf of two of Logan River Academy’s other therapists I assumed (correctly) that it was one I should not miss.  Robison chronicles his childhood of learning to fit in despite the challenges of his dysfunctional family and his series of quirky and fascinating career choices through adulthood.  Similar to Finch, he does not discover his quirks and difficulties are actually due to ASD until middle-age, and he regards this discovery as transformative.  Robison’s writing style is humorous and makes for a fast read; I believe I raced through it in a couple afternoons.

While none of these books can or should be taken as the authoritative text on living with Autism Spectrum Disorder, I enjoyed the relatability and familiarity I found in their pages.  All three are well written, insightful and share enjoyable and sometimes painful experiences with the sense of humor I strive to take into my daily work with my students with ASD.  If you have the time and opportunity to dig into any or all of these books, you won’t be disappointed.

Sarah Hazelton, LCSW