A collection of real-life personal profiles, The Myriad Gifts of Asperger's Syndrome focuses on the talents, abilities and achievements of individuals with Asperger's Syndrome (AS).Vaschel has a remarkable connection with animals; Richard can tell the weight of any item he lifts to the nearest tenth of a pound; two-year-old Hannah detected a dangerously faulty electrical circuit in her family home; and eight-year-old Clark became conversant in French after only an evening's study. What connects these individuals? They have AS. John M. Ortiz celebrates the qualities of individuals with AS he has met through his clinical experience, including their characteristic tenacity, honesty and attention to detail, and looks also at the wide range of careers they have chosen and in which they flourish. This uplifting book should be read and enjoyed by anyone who knows or works professionally with individuals with AS, and anyone with an interest in the subject.
: Preface: The Asperger Dimension. Chapter One: Introduction. Background. The Discovery of Michael. The Box. AS: The No-Box Syndrome. Data Collection. Participants. What This Book Is Not. The Book's Focus. The Book's Tone and Purpose. Chapter Two: The Gifts of Asperger's Syndrome. Magical Mystery Michael. Carlton the Gift Giver. The Death Ray. Suelan's Leaky Link. It Takes a Thief. The Official Reader. The Disciplinarian. Vaschel the Liberator. Evan the Incomparable. The Community Patriot. The Nurturing Toner. No Drain for the Rain. The Rocking Navigators. The Screaming Circuit. The Human Weight Scale. The Auto Salesman. The Two Karenas. Nelson Kicks Bud. The Linguist. The Anti-Smoking Vigilante. Fast as Lightning. Colors. The Symmetrist. The Spelling ''Should Have Been'' Champ. Kaden: The Metric Machine. Ace: The Inventor Atlas. Griffin's Continuum. The Family ''Homonist''. Absolutely Quentin. Edan's Adopt-a-Smile. Arif the All-Knowing. The Two Helenas. Royal-Loyal Dalton. Plainly Speaking Donald. Rockin' Hoang. Swen and his ''Theory of Mind'' Theory. Chris and his Brown Paper Bag. Sandy and Sandee, the Actresses. Nathan, the Computer Geek. Portrait by Helen. Chapter Three: The World of Gainful Employment. Calix: Graphic Artist. Jacqui: Archeologist. Naresh: Engineer. Rachael: Environmentalist. Dennis: Shipping and Receiving Clerk. Garrett: Physics Researcher. Vanna: Librarian. Tom: Agricultural Worker. Jeremy: Landscape Architect. Verne: Proofreader. Norman: Forensic Science Analyst. Dahlia: Medical Transcriptionist. Ollie: Meter Reader. Sabina: FX Artist. Ea: Game Programmer and Developer. Larry: Surveyor. Adam: Stamp and Coin Collector. Jason: Comic Book Store Manager. Dierdra: Paralegal/Legal Assistant. Paolo: Statistician. Bjorn: Military Engineer. Chapter Four: Notable Persons with Asperger's Syndrome Phenotypes. Appendix: Form A: Data Collection. Form B: Data Collection. Recommended Books Written by Authors with Asperger's Syndrome. Recommended Internet Sites: Sites worth Sighting and Citing. References.
John Ortiz has compiled a book that celebrates Asperger Syndrome. It highlights the fact that this medical condition entails not just deficits in socializing but also areas of strength, especially in attention to detail, in the detection of patterns, and in the pursuit of logic and truth, so essential to certain crafts and intellectual pursuits. This book reminds us that while people with Asperger Syndrome may need support in some areas, in other ways they make a special contribution to humanity.'- Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, Professor of Developmental Psychopathology, Director, Autism Research Centre, Cambridge University
