Overview

Pretending to be Normal tells the story of a woman who, after years of self-doubt and self-denial, learned to embrace her Asperger's syndrome traits with thanksgiving and joy. Chronicling her life from her earliest memories through her life as a university lecturer, writer, wife and mother, Liane Holliday Willey shares, with insight and warmth, the daily struggles and challenges that face many of those who have Asperger's Syndrome. Pretending to be Normal invites its readers to welcome the Asperger community with open acceptance, for it makes it clear that, more often than not, they are capable, viable, interesting and kind people who simply find unique ways to exhibit those qualities. The last part of the book consists of a series of substantial appendices which provide helpful coping strategies and guidance, based on the author's own experience, for a range of situations. This positive and humane book will provide not only insight into the Asperger world which will prove invaluable for the professionals who work with people with Asperger's Syndrome, but also hope and encouragement for other people with Asperger's Syndrome, their families, and their friends.

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9781853027499

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Reviews

This accomplished author demonstrates incredible insight into her AS, and how it has shaped her life. She is courageous in sharing with the reader moments clearly painful to recall, which offers parents a rare peek inside the world of their children. At times mesmerized by her poetic style, Willey is the first AS author to effectively convey the emotion and isolation experienced by these individuals. -- ASPEN Newsletter For families living with Aspies and professionals working with them, this is highly recommended to further understand the challenges of Asperger Syndrome -- Joan Wheeler, Coordinator, Regional Services This autobiographical narrative details the life of a woman with Aspergers Syndrome (AS), a mild form of autism. It focuses on the obstacles she confronts, her means of overcoming them, and her ultimate recognition and acceptance of her status as an aspie ...The book will be an aid for people who have AS and it may be even more useful for those who do not have it, but who are close to someone who does. -- Disability Studies Quarterly The book will be of great benefit to everyone concerned to help children and adults with mild Asperger's syndrome, but most of all to the people who are themselves affected. -- Child Psychology and Psychiatry The author is a university lecturer who found that many of the puzzles of her own life fell into perspective when, after several years of knowing one of her twin daughters was different from the other, she eventually found someone who listened and explained Asperger's Syndrome. She vividly describes her own difficulties and emotions as she herself grew up with Asperger's Syndrome...Her story is told simply and through it we gain insight into what it is like to lose your way in your own home town, be assaulted by your heightened senses and attempt to unravel the mysteries of social communication. In the appendices she describes the strategies that have been of most help to her. This book is a testimony to the exceptional qualities of those who have Asperger's Syndrome. -- Therapy Weekly Before reading this book I had some academic knowledge of the symptoms of Asperger's Syndrome which had stimulated my curiosity about what it might be like to suffer from the condition. I looked forward to reading the book to see if it would help me to understand how a person with Asperger's might think and feel. I was not disappointed. The book is well written and easy to read and I found it hard to put down. I felt the author's descriptions of her struggles to communicate with others and cope with sensory overload gave me a real insight into how Liane thinks and feels. It also gave me food for thought about conformity pressures in our society and how we treat people who seem different from the norm... This is a hopeful and optimistic book. Liane is a doctor of education and she is happily married with three children. I used the words suffer from Asperger's syndrome deliberately in the first paragraph as that is how I saw it. Liane has a different view - she does not minimise the difficulties she has had to face but she does not wish she was different. She challenges us to think about what we mean by the word 'normal' and to be less rigid in our thinking about 'normal' behaviour. I believe this is a valuable read for all counsellors and will give them much food for thought. Asperger's syndrome occurs with varying levels of severity. Hopefully, reading the book will help counsellors to work more effectively with clients who may have the syndrome to some degree and to avoid labelling them as difficult. It would also be very useful for clients where they or one of their relatives might have Asperger's Syndrome. -- Relate News Liane's autobiography will allow others to understand the world as perceived by a person with Asperger's Syndrome ... I strongly recommend this book for teachers as it will provide the previously elusive reasons for behaviours that were considered unconventional or appeared to be abnormal. Specialists and therapists who diagnose and treat such children will find the book a treasure trove of information and insight ... [this] book will be an inspiration for thousands of people throughout the world. -- From the Foreword by Tony Attwood Pretending to Be Normal reads like an information-filled memoir, but the real strength of the book can be found in the appendices. There Aspies will find concrete suggestions for dealing with employment issues, sensory perceptions problems, and making conversation. Neurotypicals will find useful points for understanding those on the spectrum. -- GeekMom.com

Asperger's Syndrome is one of the constellation of conditions known as autism. As both Willey and her young daughter have AS, her life story provides a startling look at how those with the syndrome experience the world. Willey grew up knowing only that she was somehow different, extremely intelligent, and extremely quirky - but accepted and valued - seems to have the assessment of her parents, physicians, and others early in her life. Her peculiarities - inability to find her way in unfamiliar places, and extreme aversion to people coming too close to her, to noise, to confusion - became a devastating issue when she left home for the unfamiliar environment of college. From then on, Willey straggled mightily until she reached the safe haven of marriage to an outstandingly sympathetic partner, a fulfilling job teaching college, and motherhood. When her own daughter, one of twins, was diagnosed as an infant with Asperger's Syndrome, Willey immediately recognized herself: social action impairments, narrow interests, an insistence on repetitive routines, speech and language peculiarities, non-verbal communication problems and motor clumsiness . . . each of these symptoms is manifested in a variety of unique and diverse ways. Willey here compares her own experiences with her daughter's, her daughter's with her twin sister, who doesn't have AS, and the childhood peak in intensity of her daughter's symptoms with her own waning symptoms in middle age. In her appendices Willey offers extensive practical help and resources to AS sufferers. But even those not directly affected by AS will find this an eye-opening view into a parallel world. (Kirkus Reviews)

Author Information

Liane Holliday Willey is a doctor of education, a writer and a researcher who specialises in the fields of psycholinguistics and learning style differences. Dr Willey has a wonderful husband, three happy children, dedicated parents and an active social life. She also has Asperger's Syndrome, just like her youngest daughter.

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